


Warlock

by Kathrina_Csernis



Series: Warlock [1]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Angels, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Olympian Gods, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angel/Demon Relationship, Angels, Angels vs. Demons, Arthur Pendragon Is King, Blood Mages, Blood Magic, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Canon - Japanese Drama, Canon-Typical Violence, Cat Ears, Cat/Human Hybrids, Circle Mages, Dark Fantasy, Dark Magic, Demon Blood, Demon Blood Addiction, Demon Deals, Demon Hunters, Demon Sex, Demonic Possession, Demons, Dragon Riders, Dragons, Dragonspeak, Elemental Magic, Fallen Angels, Fangirl Japanese, Fantasy, First Time, Foxes, Gods, Gore, Goretober, Grim Reapers, Guardian Angels, High Fantasy, Human/Vampire Relationship, Japan, Japanese, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Japanese-American Character, Kings & Queens, Mages, Mages (Dragon Age), Mages Guild, Mages and Templars, Mages vs. Templars, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magic and Science, Magic-Users, Magical Accidents, Magical Artifacts, Magical Realism, Magical Tattoos, Mild Gore, Multi, Old Gods, Old Gods (Dragon Age), Oral Sex, Post-Reaper War, Public Sex, Realm Hopping, Reapers, Rough Sex, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Sexual Violence, Shadow Realm, Shapeshifting, Shower Sex, Sided with Mages, The Nine Realms, Threats of Violence, Time Loop, Time Skips, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Timeline What Timeline, Trickster Gods, Unforgotten Realms, Urban Fantasy, Vaginal Sex, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Violence, Wall Sex, War, Werewolf Biology, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Hunters, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf Reveal, Werewolf Turning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-08-09 15:51:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 57,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16452824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kathrina_Csernis/pseuds/Kathrina_Csernis
Summary: Do monsters create war or does war create monsters?It has been four years since the end of the great war; a war that lasted hundreds of years between two different peoples. Humanity was pushed aside and collected in several areas in order to survive. But once the war was over, those left standing were the Warlocks. Will their grip on the human world ever be broken?As survivors from the war's desolation come together, it may be that they are humanity’s last hope. But can they set aside their differences and work together to fight a familiar foe?Two years ago, a young Warlock, named Kathrina, was forced to leave her home to escape her imminent death. Leaving behind everything she knew and never being able to stop running, starting a new life was impossible. But then she meets Tsunami, a young and powerful Seer who carries the same hate as she does for her pursuers. Together, the pair embark on an unforgettable journey through the dangerous Realm of Alvenguard.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> An audio chapter is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4bO59CAR94&t=497s
> 
> Please follow the Tumblr and support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/

Dusk. The moon was full and bright in the darkening sky, the cries of birds filling the bitter air. The songs of crickets and the piercing howls of wolves began to break the quiet as the clouds cleared, and the moon lit up the forest below.

A small group of men armed with wooden spears and bows were walking on a cobblestone path, holding torches and looking around frantically as the brush around them rustled in the wind. They were all wearing hooded fur coats made from the pelts of wolves and foxes, some were even carrying dead animals. Hunters – careless hunters. Carrying torches at night only served as a beacon for any nearby predators, but they were Human, and the Humans of Alvenguard had always been oblivious to their own mistakes.

''Why would they even send us out at this time?! They know damn well it’s not safe outside the city after dusk!'' one of them protested as he turned around to see if they were being followed.

''Just keep moving, we are close now... I think'' another replied.

''You think? You know what I think? I think we've taken a wrong turn and are headed straight-''

Suddenly, a branch fell from one of the trees and landed in front of them as they all screeched in shock. The crickets abruptly silenced as the grass around them rustled loudly.

''What was that!?'' the smallest hunter asked as he gripped the arm of one of his companions.

They all looked up, searching the trees in disarray, panicking. The leaves began to rustle loudly, twigs snapped all around them and a low, quiet growl echoed through the bushes. The group moved closer to each other, looking in all directions as they gripped their weapons tightly.

''Something is watching...'' the eldest said slowly, scanning the darkness with his dull blue eyes.

The man beside him gulped and scoffed, ''it’s probably just an Elf or something, playing tricks on us, thinking it’s funny... right?'' he asked, nudging the eldest hunter, seeing that the other two, younger men were panicking.

Unsure, they all looked at each other strangely, but then pointed their spears forward, frowning as they searched the darkness for whatever they felt was watching them.

But as the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves grew louder, another huge branch fell and landed in front of them with a loud CRASH!!! Several panicked birds flew away, vigorously flapping their wings as they shrieked in fear.

Quickly, the four hunters all looked up and froze, looks of pure terror covering their pale faces. A huge black, dog-like creature was glowering at them from above, its bright yellow eyes glowing, reflecting the light from the fire. It widened its jaws, revealing fangs that were like that of a sabre cat, two larger front teeth grinning at them from the front of its mouth. The creature’s ears were pricked up, long and sharply pointed at the ends, rips and tears in its mangled black flesh. It licked its teeth slowly with its long, purple, snake-like tongue, and as it glared at each of them, it gripped onto the branch with its huge dagger-like talons.

The older man stood in front of the others and glared back at the beast, ''Black Dogs...'' he said quietly, ''just stay calm'' he assured, holding his spear tightly in his right hand, a torch in his left, ‘’it’s just one, it won’t attack us’’

''Calm!? Black-dogs are hunters, they never come out alone!'' the youngest panicked as the Black Dog growled at them from the tree above.

Before the eldest hunter could convince him otherwise, yellow eyes began to appear all around them, glowing in the dark, in the trees, in the bushes and from every angle. They were surrounded. They stood back to back, holding their spears firmly, trying to ward off the beasts by waving their torches.

But Black Dogs weren’t afraid of fire. The creatures on the ground started to circle them, baring their huge fangs, growling and snarling as the men waved their spears and torches around, trying to scare them off.

‘’This isn’t working!’’ one of the older hunters called.

However, as the Black Dogs were about to initiate their attack, the loud cry of a horse echoed through the darkness, startling the men and the dogs.

''What now!?'' the youngest cried.

As the pack of dogs snarled, one of them broke formation and sank its teeth into the right leg of the younger hunter, making him drop his spear as he fell to the ground and screamed in terror and agony. The three others moved to help, but the other dogs started to move in, ready to kill.

But then, from the darkness, a shimmering white Unicorn emerged, its horn pointed forward. The victimized hunter screeched in horror, trying to kick the Black Dog off as the Unicorn ran towards them. Noticing the incoming Unicorn, the attacking Black Dog pulled its teeth from the man, pouncing into the cover of the bushes as its allies also backed off.

The injured hunter grabbed his spear and used it to help him climb to his feet, grunting painfully as blood poured from his leg. His friends helped him to his feet, all of them moving out of the way as the Unicorn stopped where they had been standing. The pack of dogs pounced out from the trees and snapped their jaws warningly as the Unicorn began to turn around in panic, trying to scare off the Black Dogs, but they remained there, surrounding the Unicorn.

Just as one was about to pounce at it, a small hooded figure suddenly emerged from the trees, wielding a purple shimmering sword. The figure was no taller than five feet, but they stood beside the Unicorn, pointing their sword at the dogs. The hunters covered behind a tree, watching at the Unicorn and the figure tried to ward off the creatures, but they didn’t stand down.

The Black Dogs growled and simultaneously attacked from all directions, but the pair began to fight them off; the Unicorn kicked at them with its back legs, the hooded person cutting them down with the shimmering sword. The group of hunters watched as one by one, the Black Dogs were slain. The hooded person slew them effortlessly; some of the dogs tried to flee, but the sword-wielder leaped over to them and heartlessly sliced their heads from their bodies, blood splashing all over the trees and cobblestone path.

As the last dog was slain, the hooded figure turned to the group. They couldn't make out the person’s face under the hood; all they could see were a pair of dimly glowing green eyes-

''Warlock!'' one of them panicked as it stared over at them.

''Please, don't kill us!'' the youngest begged.

The Warlock sheathed the sword and stared at them but didn’t speak. Aggressively, the Warlock grabbed hold of the injured man’s leg and stared at it closely, gradually letting go as he pulled away, terrified.

''It’s going to kill us'' another whispered, petrified.

Then, the Warlock sharply turned their head and looked up at him, ''I'm not here to hurt you'' she said calmly, her voice quiet and stern, ''I just came to kill the Black Dogs'' she explained, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a scrunched-up piece of paper from her pocket and a small piece of coal, using it to scribble on the paper. She then tucked both back into her pocket and looked up at them all.

They all stared at one another in confusion, unsure of what to say or do.

''You're... you're not going to kill us?'' the eldest asked.

She scoffed, ''no, what would be the point in that?'' she asked as she walked over to the Unicorn and mounted it, ''you should get that seen to'' she instructed as she pointed to the injured man, ''leave now, this path leads deeper into the forest; the path to the nearest city is a few miles away, West from here''

She then tapped the unicorn’s side as it quickly galloped away.

They all watched as she rode away and disappeared into the darkness. Completely baffled, they all looked at one another, surrounded by the dead Black Dogs, their crimson blood covering the entire area.

''Did that just happen?'' one of the Hunters asked.

The eldest hunter shook his head, ''I don't understand... but we should move, there could be creatures out here far worse than Black Dogs'' he warned.

''But how do we know that Warlock won't be waiting for us somewhere? We all know they like to play games’’ one of the others said as he helped the youngest walk, his injury making it hard for him to walk.

''Well maybe we should get moving, before she comes back-''

''No! We should go the other way!’’ the youngest protested, cutting off the other, ‘’don't you see? She wants us to go that way, so she can kill us, right?''

They all stared at each other again, nodding in agreement.

''Fine, but we better go quick-''

Suddenly, they were silenced by a ferocious howl, like a wolf, but much louder. They stood back to back once again as the grass began to rustle.

''W... What was that?'' the youngest panicked.

''I-''

Before the eldest could answer, a huge hazel-coloured wolf pounced at one of the men, forcing him to the ground as it began to tear at his throat with its huge jaws.

''Were-''

Another fell as the wolf ripped him apart, moving at the speed of light.

The others tried to run, but it tore through all of them in an instant, hitting them with its powerful claws, savagely tearing at them with its jaws. As it pulled its claws from the last man, it stood up on its back legs and stared up at the moon, blood dripping from its jaws and claws. The beast’s eyes glowed bright yellow as its fur glistened brown in the moonlight.

One of the hunters had survived the slaughter and tried to crawl away, leaving a trail of thick, red blood behind. The wolf slowly descended back to all fours and prowled towards him as he struggled, an almost entertained look on its face. The hunter panicked and tried to fight as it grabbed hold of him, rolling him onto his back.

''W... Werewolf...'' the man choked, blood oozing from three gashes on his face.

The Werewolf stared into its victim’s bloody eyes, then viciously teared at him with its claws. As the hunter screamed in torment, the wolf snarled ferociously. And once the man was dead, the Werewolf howled loudly in triumph.

 

The Realm of Alvenguard was no safe place; it existed with one simple rule: only the strong can survive. Werewolves were only one of many dangerous monsters, but just like everything else that lived here, it was trying to survive - even beasts as powerful as these had predators.

As the night carried on, the wolf sat down to enjoy its meal.


	2. Warlock Killer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An audio chapter is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaMiJkRbViw&t=5s
> 
> Please follow the Tumblr to support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/

As dawn approached, a small fire was burning in between a few tall trees. Sitting next to it was Kathrina, the young Warlock. Her long dark brown hair floated gently in the calm morning breeze, a shimmer of red glistening through it as the sunlight met it. She was leaning against her noble white Unicorn mare, Spirit, cleaning a sword with her purple colored robes.

''Black Dogs, filthy, filthy creatures. Their blood stains metal like wine stains sheets. Damn it'' she muttered to herself as she cleaned away the small streaks of crimson blood, ''lucky you repel magic, or that stuff would have melted through you'' she sighed as she stroked Spirit’s mane.

As the sun’s rays pierced through the tree branches, the golden edge of her robes glistened brightly, her emerald green eyes brightened, and slit-like pupils thinned. She looked up as a few birds flew over; realizing that it was time for her to leave, she slid her sword back into its sheath around her waist and stood up. She pulled two metal clips on her shoulders and removed a dark purple cloak from her back and moved over to spirit, tucking the cloak into one of the saddle bags.

''Come Spirit, it's time to go'' she said as Spirit grunted but climbed to her hooves.

Kathrina mounted her and stroked her white mane; Spirit shook her head and started to slowly walk out of the trees and into the open valley which sat between a huge mountain range, the sky glowing a bright blue above. As Spirit moved forward, Kathrina reached into the saddle bag and pulled out a small cloth with something wrapped inside it. Slowly, she pulled away the cloth to reveal a small piece of bread. As grotesque as it seemed to her, she ate Human food. She slowly ate the bread in small bites, trying hard to ignore its harsh taste as Spirit continued through the valley.

Soon, they reached a pathway that led up the mountain side. Kathrina guided Spirit who began to walk up the path, coming out onto a narrow cliff-path. As they walked, Kathrina looked down at the ground below the cliff, searching for anything of interest such as water and magic plants. There was nothing of interest in this valley, she was just passing through, but she thought she’d look anyway. But then she noticed something-

''Slow, Spirit'' she instructed.

The Unicorn slowed and stopped as Kathrina unmounted her and stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down below. She fixed her eyes upon five human-like figures standing beside a lake; they wore dark robes like hers and were laughing maniacally as one of them mercilessly slit the throat of another with a shimmering steel dagger. As his body hit the floor, the remaining figures held their hands over the body, golden wisps of smoke surrounding their palms.

‘'Warlocks'' she muttered, ''four: three Basic class, one Master... victim is human. I should take out the master first, go straight for the kill spot – they’re distracted feeding on the Human, so this should be easy. As the basic become distracted, I should use a telekinetic blast to stun them. Basic telekinesis powers are no threat but watch for their blades'' she muttered to herself as she looked at each of them. She was set with her plan.

On the other side of the valley standing on a cliff edge was a shrouded man. He was also watching the Warlocks below, gripping the hilt of his sword sheathed at his left side. But as a light breeze brushed through his white and blue hinted hair, he looked up and saw Kathrina crouching on the edge of the cliff opposite him. She didn't notice him, but he watched closely as she stood up, turned around and began to walk away. As she disappeared, he also stood up, ready to jump down, planning to take on the Warlocks himself - but suddenly, the sound of rushing footsteps from across the valley stopped him. He quickly crouched down again and watched as Kathrina sprinted to the edge of the cliff and jumped off.

He watched closely as she wielded a purple coloured sword and held it in front of her as she fell forward. He frowned strangely, confused by her actions, but his curiosity forced him to remain where he was and watch.

Kathrina remained calm as she fell, silently moving downwards, headed towards the Warlocks. Using her telekinetic power to slow and soften her landing, she rolled back in mid-air, so her feet were facing forward, and crashed into the master Warlock, stabbing her sword into him. He grunted painfully, a shocked look sticking to his face as he realized it was too late to react.

Once it was imbedded in the Master Warlock, she let go of her sword, turned around and pushed both of her hands forward. Instantly, they glowed gold and a huge blast erupted from them, sending the three basic Warlocks spinning through the air. She straightened up and pulled a dagger from the holster on her waist, rushing over to each stunned Warlock. Quickly, she stabbed them one after the other, ending them as her dagger pierced their chests.

With the Warlocks dead, Kathrina walked over to the dead human to investigate. She crouched down and looked at him closely, ''an herb collector,'' she mumbled as she pulled a fist full of grinded plants from his pocket, ''the city must be near... which means scouts...'' she muttered, sounding slightly warned.

But suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Before she could turn around, the Master Warlock grabbed hold of her throat and held her up off her feet, choking her. She struggled, trying to kick him, trying to pull his hand from her throat, but he was a lot stronger than she was, especially since he had just fed on Human energy.

''You missed'' he grinned as he pulled Kathrina's sword from his arm and watched the wound heal. She struggled as he dropped the sword on the ground, ''hold on, you're the one Gahi wants!'' he realized as he stared into her shimmering emerald eyes, ''maybe I should just kill you here, save Gahi the-'' the Warlock froze before he could finish his sentence, his grin running away from his face.

They both looked down at his chest as blood spewed from his mouth; a blue colored blade had cut through him, missing Kathrina by a few inches. He breathed unsteadily as, from the wound, he began to turn to stone, dying the same way all Warlocks did. Then, the blade was pulled from his chest, and the stone body shattered.

Kathrina fell to her knees as the Warlock’s body burst into hundreds of stone pieces. As she hit the ground, she stared down at the ground, gasping for air, confusion overwhelming her. But who owned the sword that had saved her? Quickly, she looked up, but before she could set her eyes on the Warlock’s killer, she was once again grabbed by her throat. She gasped and grunted in anger as a tall, broad man pinned her down on the ground, glaring into her green eyes. As he back hit the ground, she stared up into his deep, black, soulless eyes.

''Who are you!?'' he demanded as he held the tip of his shimmering blue blade to her chest, his accent unlike anything she had heard before, ''why did you kill those Warlocks!? You are a Warlock, you do not kill your own!'' he yelled in confusion.

Kathrina struggled but remained silent, trying to break free from him.

''Why are you killing Warlocks!?'' he demanded again, tightening his grip on her throat.

Struggling, she glared up at him again, ''I... am different... if I was like them... I would have killed you by now!'' she said as she grabbed hold of his arm, her hands starting to glow a dim golden color-

Realizing what she was about to do, he backed off and pointed his sword at her, ''your power does not affect me, I am-''

Still laying on the ground, she held her right hand out and sent him flying through the air. He hit the ground and dropped his sword, grunting painfully as Kathrina scrambled to her feet. She then pulled her hand back, making him fly back towards her. Mid-flight, he managed to climb to his feet, and as he reached her, she lowered her hand, glaring evilly at him. They both stood in front of each other, staring into each other’s eyes.

An ominous, strong sense of hostility fell over them both, but he was more confused than angered.

Staring at her furious face, he frowned, ''you... you're a Seer? How... how else could your power affect me?'' he asked in utter confusion.

‘’No, I'm a Warlock, but Deviant - different''

They still glared at each other. He seemed to be quite young like her but didn't act like it. She could tell just from this short encounter that he was an egotistical dunderhead with a sword, just like any other man. But the fact that he had stopped trying to kill or threaten her had her somewhat intrigued. Why was he asking her questions instead of trying to kill her?

She frowned and exhaled deeply, ''who are you? And why did you save me?’’ she questioned sceptically, ‘’you clearly despise Warlocks, I can see it just by looking at you. But you don’t seem Human, so tell me, why?''

He looked at her strangely, '’I… I saved you because... because I wanted to kill you myself!'' he insisted, reaching out to grab her.

Kathrina stepped back as he moved towards her, ''if you wanted to kill me, you would have done it as soon as you grabbed me, but you didn't''

He looked down at his feet, seemingly saddened, ''I guess… for a moment, you reminded me of somebody I once knew'' he confessed.

She ignored his reason, ''you're a Seer; you dress like they all do'' she said as she looked at his blue colored Warlock-like robes and grey trousers, ''but I have never seen one like you before. Where are you from? And why did you think I was a Seer just because my powers worked against you?'' she asked, her confusion leading her to ask literally everything that was on her mind.

He looked up at her, ''that's my business. Now you answer me! Why did you kill those Warlocks?'' he demanded, clenching his fists in anger.

She deadpanned, ''as I told you, I’m what the Humans call a Deviant, a unique or abnormal version of a species. I’m free of Warlock compulsion and they can’t control me. If you can’t understand that, it basically means that my mind is my own'' she said rudely.

''I don't believe you!'' he growled as he held out his hand - his sword flew over to him telekinetically, and as he gripped the hilt with his right hand, he pointed it at her, ‘’tell me the truth, Warlock scum!’’

She made no attempt to obtain her weapon. She frowned slightly and stared at his blade, '’if you're gonna kill me, just do it. It would be better to die now than keep running for my entire life'' she mumbled without thinking.

He slightly lowered his sword and looked at her, ''what do you mean?''

Kathrina took a deep breath and felt no need to hold back what she was thinking, her near-defeat had for some reason pulled her into a deep sadness. She shrugged and looked down at the ground, ''I have been running for nearly two years now''

''From who? Humans?''

She shook her head, ''Warlocks. I'm an outcast, I escaped the Kingdom when Gahi realized I was in self-control. I was chased from my home, and not only that, I left behind the only one I have ever trusted'' she said sadly.

He frowned, evaluating both her answer and the saddened expression on her face. He wasn’t quite yet sure how to feel, but he felt no need to attack or threaten again. He placed his sword back in its scabbard and moved closer to her, ''I’m an outcast too, you know. But I wasn't chased from my home, it was stolen from me'' he said slowly, trying to keep the somewhat calm atmosphere alive.

As he confessed, she looked at him, ''so, you've no home to go back to?''

''No. But I have found my way out here, I made a new life. Why haven't you done the same?'' he asked, ‘’I mean, if you escaped someone like Gahi, shouldn’t you be laying low? Trying to blend in somewhere rather than killing more of his Warlocks?’’

She shrugged, ''killing Warlocks is what I’m best at’’ she sighed, ‘’and… I'm not sure you would call it a life, but I am a hunter’’ she added, ‘’I travel city to city, town to town seeking work. But wherever I go, the Warlocks always find me. I can never stay anywhere for too long. No, I'm better off like I am, always moving'' she explained, a despondent look on her face.

Tsunami stared at her, thinking. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, like she reminded him of someone so much it was like she was that someone. He picked up her sword from the ground and handed it to her, ''what kind of work?'' he asked, a sense of curiosity suddenly washing over him. He didn’t trust her, and he still felt a need to kill her – she was a Warlock, Humanity’s greatest enemy, why should he let her live? He couldn’t understand why, but something within him was telling him to allow her a chance to explain herself. He glared at her, waiting for her answer.

Kathrina took her sword and sheathed it, ''a city close to here, I caught word that they are having trouble with a Werewolf, and the pay is pretty good. I need the money, I have barely any food left’’ she mumbled.

‘’Food?’’ he frowned, ‘’uh… Warlock’s don’t eat food, you feed of the energy of living things, right?’’ he asked unsurely.

She shook her head, ‘’that’s what makes me different I guess, I don’t have to feed of the energy of other living things. My telekinesis is different too, I’m not sure why or how, but it is, that must be why it worked against you’’ she explained.

‘’Hmm… well… I’ve never come across a Warlock like you before – in fact, I’ve never seen a female Warlock’’

She scoffed, ‘’Gahi thinks women are inferior and can’t be warriors or Warlocks’’

‘’Then… why are you a Warlock?’’

Kathrina shrugged again, ‘’the one I spoke of, the one I had to leave behind, I think he had something to do with it. He was kinda close to Gahi, and he always defended me when the other men talked down to me. But after I escaped, Gahi probably thought he had something to do with it and probably killed him. I haven’t heard from him since I left, so… I just assume… that… well… ‘’

''Killed? But Warlocks do not kill their own'' he said, confused.

''I’m not the only Warlock that’s different now. Gahi, the highest and most powerful Warlock known in these parts, he’s the one that first broke the law Warlocks had against killing their own. He executes those who step out of line, finding pleasure in watching his own kind burn''

''Like you?'' he asked, slightly astounded.

''No!’’ she insisted, glaring evilly at him, ‘’I don’t kill my kind for fun, I kill them before they kill me!’’ she insisted, ‘’I’ve seen the errors in the way Warlocks live - killing humans, watching them burn and suffer for their own amusement - its merciless, horrific! I don’t want to be like them – I’m not like them!’’ she stated sternly, clenching her fists in anger.

Slightly warned by her anger, he stepped back, ''so, you're ashamed?''

She frowned slightly, ''I’m ashamed of my kind, yeah. But I’m not ashamed of who I am. I'm not like them, I'm a Deviant and I plan to use that to put an end to Gahi and every Warlock who kneels before him!'' she growled, glaring at Tsunami, ‘’he took my life from me, so I’ll take his!’’

‘’He took your life?’’ he questioned.

Looking down at the ground, she sighed angrily, ‘’no Warlock has any memory of who or what they were before they became Warlocks. We’re not born as Warlocks, I’ve seen how Gahi turns Humans and other Humanoids into Warlocks – we’re made, and he erases our memories, implementing one need only into every Warlock – the need to serve him’’

This new information confused him, but the fact that she was giving it to him so openly excited him. He wanted to know more – he needed to know more! His people had been trying to find out more about Warlocks for years, but they hadn’t managed to find out anything more than what they already knew. But this girl… she could be the key to Humanity’s comeback!

He stepped forward, ‘’so… you’re not allied with the Warlocks anymore?’’

She shook her head, ‘’no, I want to fight back against Gahi’’ she answered.

 

After hearing her statement, something within him sparked. This girl… no, this Warlock… she was nothing like any other Warlock he had confronted before. Not only was she showing emotion, but she shared the same kind of hatred for the same man he was planning to one day find and make pay for his crimes. The fact that she was a Warlock still had him unsettled, but something about her made him want to get closer, to find out more. But she didn’t seem like the type to so openly go with him or assist him. If he was to find out more about her and try to befriend her, he’d need to make sure he said all the right things. But would she accept what he was planning to offer?

He looked at her, staring into her eyes, ''I uh… my name is Tsunami, and… well… you are like me in many ways,'' he started as he walked over to the small lake and stared down at the gently flowing water, ''I plan to end Gahi too. He is the one responsible for the destruction of my home’’ he revealed, sadness in his voice, ‘’my whole Realm... it was destroyed... all those that I ever loved... they all went with it. And I... had the horrible pleasure of watching'' he said, gritting his teeth in pain as a lonely tear appeared in one of his eyes. He dragged his hand over his face to wipe it away and sighed irritably, '’all I can remember are the cries of my people... the explosions... I could have helped... I... I...''

Kathrina frowned and hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder. She didn’t know this man, nor did she really care for him at all, but seeing him in his current disposition forced her to move closer. She didn’t know why, perhaps it was just natural for people to comfort one another. She sighed, ''I wish I could say something to help or comfort you, but I have nothing'' she admitted shamefully.

Tsunami wiped his face again and turned around, moving her hand from him, ''I don't need sympathy, I just need to make Gahi pay'' he said sternly.

But Kathrina was confused - ''what has Gahi got to do with it? He never leaves the kingdom, he can't have destroyed a city or even a village in over ten years''

''It wasn't just my village he destroyed... it was my whole Realm!!!'' he yelled angrily. But his anger soon turned into devastation. He dropped to his knees in what seemed like agony, like he was letting out emotions he had hidden for quite some time, ''and I did nothing! NOTHING!!! I watched as my people burned! BURNED!!! I could have saved them all! But my powers... they… FAILED ME!!!'' he yelled into his hands as he used them to cover his face.

Kathrina stood over him as he mourned. Her face was calm, showing no emotion at all; she knew what it was like to experience such pain, but unlike him, she didn’t let her feelings rule her. She shook her head slowly, ''look at you,'' she said pitifully, ''letting your past control you''

He looked up at her angrily, growling.

''Don't be troubled by things that have happened in the past; what's done is done, there's no way you can change that. Just learn from it and move on'' she said simply, ‘’if you let this control you, then Gahi’s already won, right?’’

He looked up at her, his agonized expression slowly lifting as he calmed down. He then looked at his reflection in the water, ''you're right... look at me... what's done is done... but Gahi will pay... he will'' he said, ‘’I don’t care how long it takes, I’ll… I’ll find a way, I’ll become strong enough to fight him’’ he declared, standing back up. He then looked down at her, unsure of what to say.

''It might seem like a bad thing to say, but everything happens for a reason’’ she said, ‘’well, that’s something I believe anyway. Perhaps you’re meant to kill Gahi… or maybe I am’’

''Or… maybe we are together?’’ he suggested, but as he saw her offended look, he shook his head and shrugged nervously, ‘’I-I know, but sometimes I wish I could know what the reason was. I do believe in fate, in destiny, but sometimes... I just...''

She scoffed, ‘’wait, you think I was gonna suggest we team up?’’ she asked, ‘’hell no. I don’t know you, I just came here to kill these Warlocks’’ she said harshly, the strange sense of connection she had been feeling instantly fading. But as a slightly disappointed look appeared on his face, she sighed, ‘’just stay strong Tsunami. I uh… must be on my way. And I'd advise you not to break down like that again, especially around someone you don't know. Never show somebody your weakness''

Her attitude confused him. One minute she was helpful, supportive, then she turned into some cold, heartless girl… and now she was being somewhat helpful again? What was with this girl? He couldn’t understand her, and that just drew him closer. Something about her was so intriguing, so alluring – he felt the need to stick with her. Maybe because she intrigued him, or maybe because she also wanted to kill Gahi, and the fact that she knew more about Warlocks than he could have ever imagined. He didn’t know which, maybe it was both – he didn’t really care. He didn’t want to part ways with her just yet, she was too useful. He shook his head and frowned at her, ''what? You said you had nowhere to go... why do you have to leave?''

Kathrina looked up at the mountain she had jumped from and whistled quietly. A few birds scattered from the cliff as the sound of running hooves echoed through the air, ''I must keep moving. I have no purpose to reside anywhere for too long as wherever I go, danger follows. It always has and always will. I shall tend to this Werewolf problem, and then I will move on’' she stated.

Tsunami ignored her warning and grabbed her wrist as she began to walk away from him, ''you don't have to go... uh... there's so much we could learn from you...'' he said unsurely.

She scowled evilly and shoved him away, ‘’did I say you could touch me?’’ she growled, ‘’and who is this ‘we’?’’

He frowned unsurely, ''uh… yeah, the city is nearby - well it's actually a stronghold, but... if you were to help us, I'm pretty sure they'll welcome you-''

She stepped away and looked at him strangely, ''why didn’t you mention you were from this city in the first place?! And you must be crazy as well as a fool; all I plan to do in this stronghold of yours is slay the said beast and then leave. Anyway, if I was discovered as a Warlock, I'd be-''

''You don't have to stay,'' he interrupted, ''it was just a suggestion. I'd thought it would be better than spending your whole life running'' he said, trying to act as oddly as she did. She confused him with the way she spoke, so perhaps he should try getting through to her doing the same thing.

She stared at him. He seemed quite young in appearance, maybe around her age, but his attitude was certainly that of someone older, smarter, and she seemed to like that about him. But why was he trying to persistently to get her to go with him? To stick around? She didn’t trust him, why should she? She was a Warlock and he was a Seer, a being that helped Humans fight against Warlocks. Perhaps he was planning to lead her into a trap? No… if he wanted to kill her, he could have just done that already, he was more than capable – as much as she hated to admit that to herself.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing hooves returned as a white Unicorn raced out from the trees. Tsunami panicked and wielded his sword, pointing it forward as it got closer.

''Whoa, Spirit!'' Kathrina called as she held her hand out. The Unicorn slowed and stood beside her, ''idiot, getting scared over a Unicorn’’ she smirked as she stared at the trembling Tsunami, ‘’you’re a bit of an odd Seer’’ she said, ‘’you’re… weird. Any other Seer would have just kept trying to kill me. Anyway, I must refuse, I can’t expose the kind of dangers I bring to innocent people'' she said slowly as she mounted Spirit, ‘’I’ll get rid of the Werewolf, but after that, I have to continue alone. I want to find out who I was before Gahi took my memories’’

''Then I'll go with you!'' he insisted as he walked over to them, but Spirit whined and backed away, shaking her head as her massive horn glistened in the sunlight.

''No, Tsunami, I travel alone'' she denied strongly and irritably, holding Spirit’s reigns tightly, trying to calm her.

He looked up at her; something inside him was urging him to keep close to her. He couldn’t just let her go, not yet - ''p-please, you are different - like me! I've never shared with anyone else what I shared with you... I've never acted like that before, not even in front of the people I loved. Please, Kathrina; we know so little about Warlocks and you said you wanted to get Gahi back, to find out who you were... I could help, we could all help'' he offered desperately, ‘’we have resources, numbers – whatever you want, just… don’t leave yet!’’

She looked down at him, confused, ''why are you making so much effort to aid the enemy?'' she asked strangely, ''no matter what you convince me with, it will be near impossible to convince Humans that a Warlock is on their side. Even if I did agree to come, it wouldn’t be long before I’m chased away again’’

''Well you’re headed there to destroy the monster they are having trouble with, surely that will convince them that you’re not like other Warlocks’’ he suggested, ‘’and I’m close with the Baron, I could convince him even further!’’

Kathrina sighed, ''No matter what I do, the second I reveal what I am, they will turn on me''

''So, you're considering it?'' he asked in hope.

She shrugged, ''I do admit, Tsunami, I would like to stop running for a little while. But as I told you, wherever I go, the danger follows... all the time'' she said as she tapped the Unicorns side, ‘’I just… can’t’’ she mumbled. She began to trot forward, but Tsunami still felt the need to get her to stay.

''Wait!'' he called as she started walking away, ''I can help you... I know things... about Gahi and the Princes. You said you wanna stop him – well, I can help!’’

Kathrina pulled on Spirits reigns, making her stop. She looked over her shoulder back at him, ''what could you possibly know that I don't?'' she asked doubtfully.

''Come with me and I'll share everything with you. But in return-''

''What?'' she snapped, ‘’isn’t me coming to kill this damn Werewolf enough?!’’

''Share with us what you know of the Warlocks, considering as you are one...''

''I've already said, Tsunami, no human will willingly accept a Warlock into their home''

He smirked slyly, ''well, you could be a Seer for all they know. The only way they would recognize you as a Warlock would be the obvious golden eyes, but yours are green'' he said smugly, ‘’no one would be able to tell – and if anyone does see your cat-like pupils, we can just say you’re a Demon or something else that has those kind of eyes’’ he suggested.

He was right. As much as she protested against the idea, he had somehow convinced her. She did want to stop running for a while, and if he really could help her against Gahi, and to recover her memory, then she’d do whatever she had to. She looked forward again, thinking, ''I don't know why you’re trying so hard to get me to stick around... but I won't let your efforts be for nothing. Fine, I'll come back with you. But I can’t promise it will be safe, Warlocks will come'' she said.

He scurried forward and looked up at her, ''Kathrina, you will be safe-''

''I wasn't worried about myself, I'm talking about all those that live in this city you speak of''

''This isn't just any city, it’s one of the strongest holds the Humans have in these mountains. No Warlock has touched its walls in months... nearly a year now. We have methods to prevent danger from reaching the populated area'' he explained proudly.

Kathrina didn't seem too interested. She rolled her eyes and glared ahead, '’so are we going or not?'' she asked rudely, ‘’I’m starving, all I had earlier was some stupid dry bread – how do you people even eat that stuff anyway?’’ she grumbled.

Tsunami laughed quietly, ‘’it’s not that bad’’ he said, starting to walk forward, ''this way'' he called contently, starting to lead the way forward.


	3. Contract: Niagraad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow the Tumblr to support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/
> 
> An audio chapter is in the making.

As they walked through the valley, both Spirit and Kathrina glared at Tsunami. Kathrina was conflicted as to why he had tried with such insistency to get her to go with him; why would a Seer want to bring a Warlock to his city? Fair enough, she knew about the Warlocks and might just prove useful to the humans, maybe even give them some kind of upper hand and begin a counterstrike against them, but she was a Warlock, and if they found out, they’d try to kill her. Yes, she also wanted to fight back against the Warlocks that had caused her to be where she was now, but she knew how strong Gahi was, and there was no way he would be defeated by a bunch of Humans, a reckless Seer and herself.

Tsunami was confused too. He had such a strong hatred for Warlocks since his Realm fell, but he, for some reason, felt the need to keep her close. She did seem different and he felt different around her, like he knew her already. One thing Tsunami had always been keen about was his sense of judgement; he could read people without even knowing them, and something about Kathrina made him feel… confident. He felt as if she might just be the key to humanity’s strike back against the Warlocks.

He frowned and looked back over his shoulder at her, ''Kathrina, once we reach the city, you must explain that you're here to give us information'' he instructed, ''as for staying in the city, you'll have to try and gain a little sympathy to convince the stubborn guards... let me think… you were passing by on your unicorn, and saw the dead herb collector. Then, four Warlocks came at you, but before they could kill you, I came and killed them, saving you'' he suggested, a proud look on his face.

Kathrina scoffed in detest, ‘’as if that would actually happen’’ she mumbled.

''You told me you barely escaped the village you had stayed in which was attacked by Warlocks, so I suggested to bring you back to take shelter in mine'' he continued, ignoring her remark.

''Anything else?'' she asked, agitated.

''Oh, don't use any of your powers... except those that a Seer would use. So basic telekinesis only'' he said sternly.

For whatever reason, he seemed very confident and slightly happy that she had decided to go with him. But she, on the other hand, was still thinking negatively about the idea. However, she wanted to give his idea a chance. As they walked over a hill, the city came into view between two small mountains - it was huge. Two gigantic stone walls surrounded it, joined from each mountain with a small gate in between them. Buildings were built into the mountain’s sides, and there were many houses and buildings on the ground too, but the thing that stood out the most was the huge red-brick fort that sat at the back of the city. It connected the mountain’s sides just like the walls at the front.

Looking back at her, Tsunami smirked, ''welcome to Niagraad, the mountain strong hold'' he announced proudly.

 

Kathrina stared in awe, ''I've never seen a Human settlement so big'' she said as they continued moving towards the huge walls, ‘’it’s… how have the Warlocks not destroyed this place? It’s so close to Warlock territory’’

Tsunami smirked as he continued leading the way forward, ''it’s the largest in this whole mountain range. Most Seers reside here too, we live in the fort at the back; even though we’re here to help, the Humans like to keep us at a distance''

''Typical'' she mumbled, ‘’I see that the discrimination among Humans and other Humanoids is just as common as ever’’ she mumbled. She then looked down at Tsunami, ‘’are Seers the only non-Humans that live here?’’

He looked back at her again, ‘’no, there’s a wide variety of peoples here, but Humans treat them all like… well… animals’’

‘’This is one of the reasons why I don’t like to be around Humans’’ she mumbled.

Tsunami continued to lead the way as she and Spirit followed, still staring at the city ahead. As they approached the gate at the end of a muddy, brick bridge, two guards in red and grey armor stood tall, glaring sceptically at Kathrina. Her attention, however, was on the many tents, carts and wagons spread across the bridge. People were within the tents, muttering quietly while others were rummaging around in the carts and wagons. Refugees? She frowned and looked back at Tsunami, waiting for the right time to ask about them.

Approaching the guards, Tsunami nodded at them in thanks as he and Kathrina walked into the city gates, but they eyed Kathrina and Spirit strangely, mumbling to one another as she passed. She frowned irritably, trying to hold back her sly remarks in order to keep her identity a secret.

Glancing back at her, he noticed her uncertain look. He sighed and looked ahead again, ''don't fret, Kathrina, just stick to the story'' he said quietly.

Ignoring him, she glanced back at the campers outside, ‘’are those refugees?’’ she asked.

He looked back at her, ‘’uh, yeah’’ he answered, ‘’we get a lot of them here. But they’re not just allowed to come right in, the Baron has to see to each of them individually first to make sure they’re not spies or enemies’’ he explained. He then looked ahead, ‘’I was actually one of them before I lived here’’ he revealed.

‘’You were a refugee?’’

Nodding, he looked back at her again, ‘’there were a lot of us after the war; Warlocks never used to occupy the valley, but a small battle between Warlocks and some weird species of people broke out at the other end of it. Apparently, all of them were killed’’

‘’All of this weird species?’’

‘’Yeah, apparently they didn’t stand a chance against the Warlocks – and according to some people, some of this mentioned species aided the Warlocks. It’s just a story though. I wasn’t actually here when the war happened, I was still in my home Realm, but I’ve heard stories. The refugees came from villages and towns near the place where the war happened’’

Kathrina frowned and stared down at Spirit’s mane, ‘’an entire species… just… died?’’

‘’I don’t know’’ he sighed, ‘’like I said, it’s just a story’’ he said as he led the way towards what looked to be the town center.

There were many market stalls set up, busy people rushing around in and out of each building carrying groceries. Others were seeing to livestock, walking donkeys through the town square as they shrieked loudly. All of the people made Kathrina feel uncomfortable, urging her to turn back and leave. She couldn’t stand large crowds, but she had come here to undertake a contract, and she needed the coin, so she sighed and tried her best to ignore the people.

 

They soon stopped in the center of the town square. As they did, a rather chubby man walked over from an outside bar with a grin on his plump, red face, ''Tsunami!'' he greeted with a northern accent, raising his mug of mead, most of it splashing down to the stone ground.

Tsunami stepped forward and shook hands with him as Kathrina dismounted Spirit. She looked around strangely; was this place really threatened by a Werewolf? Everyone seemed so calm, going about their daily lives as Humans did. Not a single one of them looked to be nervous, sceptical or afraid. The last time Kathrina had dealt with a Werewolf, every Human within the small village suspected one another, even killed one another. But these people seemed to show no concern at all. Either that or her irritancy was affecting her judgement. She sighed and looked over at Tsunami, listening as he and the chubby man spoke.

''So, did ye come across anything mysterious?'' the chubby man mocked as he chuckled and waved one of his hands in Tsunami's face, his drink in his other hand.

''Not really, just a few basic Warlocks'' Tsunami shrugged.

''Oh, so the same ol' shit then?'' he laughed.

Nodding, Tsunami dragged his hand over the back of his neck, ''yeah... but that's not all'' he said as he moved aside and looked at Kathrina, ''this is Kathrina, a Seer... she was in distress, the Warlocks I spoke of were attempting to kill her'' he explained, an expectant look on his face as he stared at Kathrina.

The chubby man looked at her and the Unicorn, ''ye don't look like na Seer ta me'' he spat as he looked closely at her eyes, waving his drink around again.

Kathrina glared at him, ''and you look like you've eaten half the city’s winter supplies'' she growled.

Everyone around them fell silent, some trying to hold back laughter as they stopped in their tracks, spectating the conversation.

But the chubby man lost his grin and frowned irritably, ''so yer a joker too ri'?'' he asked, sipping mead from his mug.

Before Kathrina could answer, Tsunami sighed and shook his head, ''I saved her, but she has nowhere to go. I was thinking we could let her stay in the fort - we have many spare rooms'' he began as Kathrina and the man glared at each other. But as he looked back to Tsunami, Tsunami gained a stern look, seeing that he had his attention, ''she was already on her way here. She’s a hunter too, she heard about the Werewolf issue we’re having''

The chubby man’s face was quickly smothered with an intrigued, relieved look, ''aye right... I don' see no harm in it... but I don' like the way she glares at yer'' he smirked as he stared back at her.

''She'll be no trouble, I assure you. In fact, she seems to know a lot about Warlocks as well, she said she's been studying them for years'' Tsunami said quickly, trying to convince the man even more that Kathrina was going to be no less than a valuable asset to them.

He smirked again, ''well if yer wanna stay 'ere, ye can share some o' that knowing wi' us'' he spat as he sipped from his drink, ‘’it’s ‘bout time we got some dirt on those Warlock scums, time we fight back’’

Kathrina remained silent, still irritated by the man’s sloppy attitude.

''Quiet'un too'' he mumbled, but then stood up straight, a stern look appearing on his face, ‘’I’m Oswold, the Baron – show some re’pect!’’ he grumbled, coughing after he spoke, spitting mead to the ground.

She grunted in detest, but Tsunami was glaring down at her, an expectant look on his face. She sighed and looked up at Oswold. She reluctantly held out her hand, ‘’I’m Kathrina’’ she said.

Scowling sceptically, Oswold placed his hand in hers and shook it slowly, ‘’aye… odd name that’’ he said, ‘’you ain’t from around ‘ere, are ya?’’

‘’No, not really’’ she answered, pulling her hand back, wiping it on her robes as she scowled in disgust.

‘’Well, where’re ye from?’’ he asked curiously, sipping from his mug again.

Kathrina looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She didn’t actually know where she had come from or where her home was. She had no memory of who or what she was before she became a Warlock. She had no idea where she was born, if she had family, friends – she was just… Kathrina. She shrugged, ‘’somewhere far away’’ she said simply.

Before Oswold could ask anymore questions, Tsunami stood beside Kathrina and smiled, ''I'll show her to the fort and then the city. Once she's settled in, she'll get started on the contract and share what she knows... right?'' he asked unsurely as he looked back down at her.

She nodded slowly.

''Best be on yer way then'' Oswold instructed as he turned around, walking back over to the outside bar he had been drinking at. As he returned to his drinking, the people in the town square also got back to what they were doing, leaving Tsunami and Kathrina standing in the center.

 

Sighing, Tsunami looked down at her and frowned, ‘’well, let’s get a move on’’ he said. Tsunami led the way through the city as Kathrina followed, pulling Spirits reigns to make her follow. As they walked a fair distance from the town center, Kathrina glared ahead at Tsunami.

She frowned, ''who was that fat fu-''

''That was the Niagraad Baron, Oswold. He's in charge of the forces we have here. He's a nice guy, rather funny to be blunt. But he does have his bad side and trust me, you don't want to get there'' he explained, looking back over his shoulder at her.

''You sound like you're talking from experience'' she frowned curiously.

He laughed slightly, ''oh I am. When I first arrived here as a refugee, it was in the dead of night and I was starving. I snuck into the city and stole bread from one of the stalls, and someone saw me. I was confronted by him - but he let me stay as I was useful, being a Seer. I didn't get out of his bad books until a Warlock attack, my unique abilities have helped folk a lot around here''

''I'm not here to make friends, it’s just somewhere to stay for a short while'' she said, uninterested in what he had just told her.

''Well, still, you should avoid him for now, he'll give you hell for that comment you made. As funny as it was, you should have stayed silent'' he smiled.

''Whatever you say'' she mumbled.

He then frowned irritably, ''you're so stubborn'' Tsunami grumbled as they followed a path towards the fort, ‘’at least try to be a little glad that you’re here’’

''I am who I choose to be, so deal with it'' she snapped, ‘’I told you I didn’t wanna come here, but you bugged the hell out of me until I agreed to’’ she mumbled.

He smirked, ''Are you trying to make me regret bringing you here? Because if you are, it isn't working''

''No... I just don't feel safe here. As tall as the walls are, something will bring them down one day''

Tsunami frowned strangely, ‘’you don’t have much faith in anyone else, do you?’’ he asked.

She glared ahead at him as he looked back at her over his shoulder, ‘’you underestimate Warlocks’’

‘’Perhaps you overestimate them’’ he suggested.

Kathrina frowned and remained silent. She couldn’t be bothered to fight with him, especially over Warlocks, a subject she despised discussing. As he led the way, she stayed quiet, hoping that he wouldn’t try to start another conversation with her. All she wanted to do right now was get started on the job, but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen for a while. Tsunami now wanted to show her the fort and the city; she didn’t disagree though, it would be helpful to get to know the area she was going to be working in.

They soon came closer to the huge fort that sat at the end of the city. More Seers were hanging around, chattering and crafting weapons, others brawling, some drinking and others laying blind-drunk in the mud like pigs.

She frowned in detest, glaring around at the disgusting Seers. They were just as sloppy as Humans and not a single one of them looked worried about the fact that there was a murderous beast rampaging through their city. Was she really going to have to be around these kinds of people? The thought only increased her urge to leave.

''Tsunami!'' one called from his table, making Kathrina flinch in shock, ''come join us for a drink eh?''

''Not now, Sphinx, I've got other things to do'' Tsunami replied, smirking as he glanced back at Kathrina’s startled face.

''Aight'' he called back, rocking back in his chair.

As they passed by, Kathrina stared at Sphinx, disgusted by his sloppy nature and his rather dirty beard - ''don't they ever clean?'' she snapped, sharply turning her head to glare at Tsunami, ‘’that guy looks like water hasn’t touched him in months’’

''Sphinx is who he chooses to be, so deal with it'' Tsunami mocked, smirking as he glanced over at her.

''Very funny’’ she grumbled, ‘’but seriously, they all look like… well… animals. Look at that guy!’’ she exclaimed, pointing to a middle-aged man swimming in mud, desperately fighting another over a bottle of rum, ‘’who does that?!’’

He shrugged as they walked past the brawling Seers in the mud, ''to be honest, I don't really pry into the other Seers’ lifestyles, I just focus on my own. Anyway, here we are'' he said as they stopped at the entrance to the fort.

Kathrina gazed ahead, staring at the huge brick fort. It looked a lot larger up close, made of both cobblestone and red brick. It was coated in moss and vines and looked older than any other building she had seen whilst following Tsunami. There were multiple glass windows in the walls and there seemed to be just three floors, judging from the windows. The courtyard was mostly gravel, a fountain in its center and a large stable to the right. The sound of whining horses, clashing metal and chirping birds echoed through the air, a stagnant smell lingering around the area, something Kathrina just couldn’t work out what it belonged to.

Once she was done taking in the sights, she sighed and looked over at Tsunami, ''how long do I have to stay here?'' she asked irritably, flicking a fly away as it hovered in front of her face.

''Just give it a chance, Kathrina. You shouldn't judge something by its cover, you know’’ he said, looking down at her, ‘’I think you’ll like it here, and maybe you’ll make some friends. I mean… I know I’m glad you’re here’’ he said.

''Whatever that's supposed to mean... I don't want to be here, we both know that'' she grumbled.

''That may be so, but trust me, it's not all bad here'' he said.

She looked over at him expressionlessly, ''yeah, sure’’ she muttered.

Tsunami looked down at her, confused. He felt as though his efforts to try and make her feel more comfortable were useless. But he wasn’t going to give up. He sighed and looked to his right, ''Joe!'' he called. A small Seer dressed in strange ocean-blue robes over by the stables stopped tending to a horse and looked back over his shoulder at Tsunami, ''come take Spirit to the stables!'' he requested.

The Seer was slightly taller than Kathrina and looked younger than Tsunami; he had a light brown belt tied around his waist, no weapon sheathed at his side. As he rushed over, his long, light brown hair floated violently in the wind. It wasn’t as long as Kathrina’s, but it did fall down near to his waist, tied loosely at the bottom with a blue piece of string. His skin was an almost amber color, a tone Kathrina had never seen before; it made her think that he wasn’t originally from around these parts of Alvenguard, and that was probably the case. A lot of Seers came from all over the Realm.

As he slowed and stood beside Tsunami, she glared into his light green eyes as he curiously stared back.

She then turned to Tsunami, ''what?'' Kathrina asked, ''why can't she roam free? She hates being in enclosed places''

They looked at her strangely, but she handed Joe Spirits reigns and sighed sadly. He pulled them tightly as Spirit reluctantly followed, looking back at her in distress.

''That was sarcasm, right?'' Tsunami asked as they continued to walk up a path towards the huge wooden doors of the fort.

''No, it’s true. We had to travel through a mountain range once, the path was very tight, and she didn't like it one bit, panicking and whining through the whole journey'' she explained, looking back over her shoulder as she watched Joe pull Spirit into the stables.

''I thought Unicorns were fearless creatures'' Tsunami asked.

Kathrina looked up at him, ‘’they are, but everyone’s afraid of something, right?’’

‘’True… what are you afraid of?’’ he asked curiously.

‘’Nothing’’ she lied, ending the conversation.

 

As they approached the doors, two Seers held them open. They walked in and stood in the entrance hall; a small group of Seers were sitting at a table eating and chattering quietly to one another. A pair were in the far left corner, clashing swords as a small crowd cheered them on. To the right, more Seers were playing cards quietly. Kathrina frowned, seeing that there wasn’t a single woman in sight – but that didn’t really surprise her, who would want to live around a bunch of sloppy men like these? Just looking at them made her want to throw up.

The floor was covered with a large red and golden colored carpet, candles and torches lined along the walls, a giant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the candles shining bright. The walls were also lined with hand-painted portraits of regal-looking men, horses, gryphons and even a dragon. The walls were all made of oak wood and looked like they were regularly tended to, the wood glossy and spotless.

She sighed and looked up at Tsunami again, waiting.

Already looking down at her, he smiled, ''come, I'll find you a room''

''How many Seers actually live here?'' she asked curiously as they began to walk up a twisted stairway to the left of the doors they had just walked in through.

Tsunami frowned, ''well, there are about thirty of us right now. We come, and we go, some moved on... some even died in battle'' he explained, ‘’but none of us stay down in the city. Even though we help the Humans, they’re still wary of us’’

''Are there any female Seers here? I mean, I've only seen-''

''Oh, there are’’ he interjected, ‘’but they prefer to spend their days in the city'' he said, ‘’they only really come here to sleep’’

''I can see why'' she muttered as she looked down at the Seers in the courtyard below, fighting over a spilt drink. She scowled in detest, turning back to face Tsunami as he continued leading the way up the stairs.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Tsunami led the way out into another corridor and down a hallway, passing many wooden doors. He stopped outside the one at the end next to a huge painting of a wolf and smiled, looking down at her as he turned to face her, ''this one’s spare and my room is just across the hall'' he said as he pushed the door open, ‘’so I ain’t too far away if you need anything’’

Kathrina barged past him and walked in, looking around irritably. A large bed with quite new-looking sheets was laid out under a large lake painting against the far-left wall, a table against the back wall of the room, a few empty shelves hung here and there. The walls were red and gold like the carpet that covered the entire floor. Two windows were on the outside left wall as well as a door which led out onto a balcony. The chandelier on the ceiling was silver and a few torches were lined around the room on the walls. A few other, blurred paintings clung onto the walls and she could notice some of the wallpaper was peeling away. 

''How old is this place?'' she asked, looking up at him as he stood beside her.

''I don't actually know, I haven't been here long either, but I've heard some say that Seers have lived here way before the city was built in front of it''

''So, the fort was here before the city?''

''Apparently, but I don't care much for the history of this place'' he said sadly, ''I just want to go back to my own Realm''

She frowned and wandered over to the bed, sitting down, ''yeah, I know how you feel. I want to return to the kingdom at some point, just to see if he is alive'' she said, a despondent look appearing on her face, ‘’I can’t stop thinking about it’’

He sat next to her and sighed, ''so, what happened? I mean... the day you fled?'' he asked curiously, but then flinched slightly as she glared at him, ‘’y-you don’t have to tell me’’ he said, ‘’just… you know… if you ever wanted to talk about it, I’ll listen’’

Kathrina glared defensively at him. He was so persistent to get to know her, but she didn’t understand why. Why was he so interested? She was just a Warlock, he was supposed to hate her like everyone else. But his curiosity made her feel slightly warmed. She didn’t know why, but Tsunami made her want to let her guard down a little. He was actually trying to get to know her instead of judging her because of what she was. She also felt that he might be right; perhaps talking about what had happened would make her feel better? She didn’t know, but she wanted to try.

She looked up at him and shrugged, ''it was just like any other day: waking up and getting ready for training. I went to meet with him in the grounds. At first, he looked a little nervous, but I just thought it was because I was so close to mastering my abilities. But it turned out he had something to tell me'' she started, frowning as she spoke.

''What?'' he asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed deeply, ''as soon as he saw me come out of the doors, he rushed over and told me I had to get out of there as Gahi was looking for me... to kill me''

''Seriously? He just threw that straight at you? No warning?''

''No warning. He grabbed hold of me, pulling me out of the grounds and towards the exit of the kingdom. He didn't say anything, except that he'd see me in the future'' she said sadly, ''I didn't question him, because I trusted him. So, I just turned around and left him, no proper goodbye... nothing''

''And there was me thinking that Warlocks were emotionless''

''What do you mean?''

''Well, you're clearly upset, every time you think of the subject, you sadden''

''Well obviously, I lost everything that day. I lost a home, a friend, and now I’m just… alone''

''I know how you feel-''

''No, you don't! You really don't!'' she said, raising her voice, ‘’you have friends, you have a home – I have… nothing’’ she said, gritting her teeth as she tried to hold back her emotions. She quickly stood up and walked over to one of the windows, staring out at the city, ''it's just... everything seemed fine and then one day... just… one day, everything changed, and I lost everything'' she said sadly, ''and now I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life, always running, always alone''

He frowned sympathetically, ''but you don't have to be alone, Kathrina. You are alone by choice, all you have to do is trust in other people and you'll see that you're not alone. I was like you when I was thrown into this Realm, but I made friends, I found a place to call home. I still wish every day that I could go back, but I know that I can’t''

''Friends? I don't need friends to be happy, I just need to see Gahi die'' she mumbled angrily, ‘’he did this to me’’

Tsunami could see he wasn't getting through to her at all; she was intensely stubborn, but he wasn't going to give up on her. Back in the valley, he had found that acting the same confusing way she did actually got her to listen, so perhaps that was the best thing to do – again. He sighed and stood up, ''look, I'm clearly not getting through to you. Fine, if you want to run for the rest of your life, then go, I won't stop you. But maybe if you stopped being so pig-headed, you would see sense in what I've been trying to tell you!'' he snapped as he glared over at her.

Kathrina slowly looked over her shoulder at him as he walked out of the room and slammed the door. She sighed and thought to herself - maybe he was right? Maybe this was her chance to finally stop running. This place looked safe, it felt safe… for now. Maybe just this once, she could try to settle down somewhere. Tsunami wanted to help and help was something she had never been offered before. She looked down at her feet and slowly closed her eyes, ''okay'' she whispered. She turned around, walked out of the door and started to look around for Tsunami.

 

Outside, Tsunami was in the stables trying to help Joe contain Spirit who was panicking as they tried to grab hold of her. She kicked her legs back, sending buckets and brooms flying as she shrieked loudly, violently thrashing her head. Joe had tried to get her into a gate, but she refused, fighting them both. They both had to dodge her huge horn, the lethal weapon destroying a wooden beam as Spirit lunged her head to the side and hit it.

Joe then lost his grip on her reigns, falling on his back. As his back hit the floor, he groaned in anger, ''who in the hell had the idea to bring a bloody Unicorn in here anyway!?'' he yelled.

''Just help me get hold of her'' Tsunami laughed as he helped Joe to his feet, the unicorn trying to scurry away towards the exit.

Just as Spirit was about to make a break for it, she stopped and calmed down. Kathrina walked in, looking for Tsunami, grabbing Spirit’s reigns; she stroked the beast’s mane, calming her down in just moments.

Noticing her, Tsunami frowned sadly, ''oh... I guess you've come to get her to leave then?'' he asked unsurely.

''Actually, no’’ she said, pulling Spirit’s reigns, leading her into the gate Joe had originally tried to get her into. As she then closed the gate with Spirit inside, Kathrina looked over at Tsunami, ‘’I thought about what you said and you're right, I'll stay'' she said.

''Really?'' he asked, relieved.

''Well, yeah, I can rest for a little while'' she smirked as she picked up a carrot and fed it to Spirit.

''So, what I said actually got through to you then?'' he scoffed, folding his arms in front of him.

Kathrina sharply turned her head to glare at him, ''I... well… yeah, I suppose it did, I should stop running, learn to trust others, whatever’’ she grumbled.

Joe watched them as they spoke, unsure whether he should say anything or not. But as they fell silent, he laughed nervously, ''uh... you want me to go?''

''No, we're fine'' she snapped, ''I just came to tell you that'' she said, turning back to Tsunami, ''now can we get out of this place? It smells like something’s died in here''

‘’No it doesn’t’’ Joe frowned, looking around, ‘’I clean this place every day’’

‘’Well you clearly don’t do a good enough job’’

Tsunami then laughed forcefully as he pulled Joe back before he could yell, ‘’let’s uh… save the jokes for later, huh?’’ he suggested.

She shrugged, ‘’whatever’’

‘’I’ll catch you later’’ Tsunami said, walking past Joe as he frowned irritably at Kathrina who followed Tsunami out.

 

The pair walked out of the stables and Tsunami began to lead the way through the city. As he did, he looked over at her, ''so, what made you change your mind... again?'' he asked curiously.

''Like I said, you're right. I should stop running and let go of what happened in my past, or I'll be alone forever... and I don't want that'' she admitted.

He smirked, ''well, if you're not gonna yell at me this time, I'll tell you: I know how you feel. I lost everything in one day too... in a matter of seconds actually. Everything I knew and loved was pulled away from me''

''But you know of their fate, I don’t know of his. He could be dead, he could be alive... I don't know'' she said as they walked back down the path that led to the town square.

''Who is he? You haven't told me his name or anything about him except that you trusted him''

''That's all you need to know. I trusted him, and I don't trust easily'' she said simply, looking sadly down at the ground.

''Well, you obviously care about him - and don't bother to deny it, I can tell, your tone seems to change when you speak about him'' he said with what seemed like jealousy, ‘’were you two… like… a thing?’’

''Listen, Tsunami, he was just someone I trusted and someone who helped me escape Gahi's claws- that’s all'' she grumbled.

He wasn't at all convinced, but he dropped the subject, seeing that she was getting agitated. He led the way along the path, turning left onto another path. He silently led her towards the left mountain, passing many crowds of chattering people. He wanted to ask her more, but he had probably already asked her too much for one day. As they reached the mountain side, he led the way up a huge staircase carved into the mountain’s side all the way up to the left wall. As they reached the top, Kathrina noticed several other Seers standing there, staring out into the valley.

A few barrels and crates were scattered around containing swords, shields, arrows, bows and water. It looked just like any other scouting post, but this one was a lot larger than any she had seen before. They slowly walked along the top of the wall and stopped when they reached Tsunami's post next to a flagpole. A few meters away stood another Seer; he looked like he hadn't slept in days, a look of terror in his eyes.

Tsunami sighed and then turned to face the valley below, ''this is where I scout,'' he said, ''I prefer to stay here rather than go out on the long-range scout posts. That's where I was when I found you'' he said, changing the subject.

''Why in the world are you a scout?'' she asked slowly.

''What do you mean?''

''Well, what use are you and your sword up here? It's not like the Warlocks are over thirty meters tall'' she mumbled.

''Oh... well quite a few reasons. First of all, my abilities make use from up here; I get a clear view of enemy positions. Secondly, I have sensing powers, an ability that allows me to sense incoming organic matter; from up here, I can sense incoming danger from miles away'' he said proudly.

She frowned slightly, ''but isn't that what the long-range scouts are for?'' she asked, confused.

''Well... yeah, but it is still useful if they miss anything'' he explained, but Kathrina didn't seem too interested as an awkward silence fell between them.

'’Well, do you have any ideas on where to start with that contract?'' he asked curiously.

''Actually, yes'' she said, ''were there any witnesses?’’

He nodded, ''that's Cadet Shanloe’’ he said, pointing over to the tired-looking man opposite them, ‘’he's stationed on top of the wall during the daylight’’ he explained, but then looked over at the Seer, ‘’Shanloe!'' he called.

The cadet gasped and stood up straight, shaking, ''S-Sir!'' he called back.

''Come here, we need to speak with you about the beast''

He shivered and gulped, ''uh, yes Sir''

As he walked over, Kathrina stared at him closely; she could see that he was scared out of his mind, his entire body trembling.

''This is Kathrina, she's here to kill the Werewolf that has been seen around the city. You need to tell her everything you saw and anything you know. Do you understand?''

''Y-Yes, Sir'' he mumbled.

''What did it look like?'' she started, ''eye color, fur''

He thought to himself, ''uhh... it was... brown... yeah… brown... and yellow eyes'' he answered, twiddling his fingers together as he spoke.

''You don't sound so sure'' she frowned.

Tsunami looked at her strangely.

''No... I'm sure'' he assured her.

''So, did you see it kill somebody?'' she asked impatiently.

''Um… no, it just... stood and looked at me. It had blood in its mouth but... I didn't see or hear it kill anybody''

She sighed, ''you can go now’' she said as she turned to Tsunami, ''the Werewolf isn't killing anybody?''

''Not as far as we know. Nobody has been reported injured either. Although some people have been reported missing outside of the city. We sent some hunters out a few nights ago, but they could still be out hunting’’ he assumed, ‘’do you think it’s after the livestock?''

She frowned, ''but have you actually noticed any missing livestock?’’ she asked, and as he frowned unsurely, she sighed, ‘’so it’s just roaming the city at night to scare people? No, there's something else going on here'' she said sceptically, glaring over at Shanloe as he returned to his post.

''Like what?'' Tsunami asked curiously.

''Shanloe said he saw blood in its mouth, so where did the blood come from?''

Tsunami thought to himself, but couldn't come up with an answer, ''so what do we do to find it?''

''We have to wait until dusk, when it is in its wolf form. When it shows up, I'll capture it. I need to find out what it wants'' she said, looking out at the valley, ‘’if it’s not here for food or sport, then there has to be some other reason why, and I wanna find out’’

Tsunami sighed and then also turned to face the valley below, ‘’yeah, I guess we should’’

 

As they stood there, silence fell over them. Kathrina’s mind was clouded; her thoughts shifted from the contract to something else entirely. After their small discussion, she found herself thinking more and more about her friend. Back in the valley where she had met Tsunami, he had said he could help her find answers, so maybe he could help her return to the kingdom to help look for her friend. Now that she had thought about it, she wanted to accept his offer. She wanted to find out who she was, and if her friend was still alive or not, and either way, she felt as though she’d still have somewhere to return to after, someone to be with. But she was going to have to tell Tsunami about her friend before she could ask him for help, right?

She frowned and glanced over at him, ''Elijah'' she said, breaking the silence, ''his name was Elijah''

Tsunami looked over at her as she stared out at the valley again, ''the one who you trusted?''

She nodded slowly, ''and no matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about him. I… I need to know if he's still alive or not''

''What was he like?'' he asked curiously as they both sat down. He continued to look over at her as she spoke.

''Well... different'' she said plainly, ''he was nothing like the others, he wanted to help me rather than control me''

''Forgive me, but I don’t fully understand'' he frowned.

She took a deep breath as she stared up at the sky, ''I am a different kind of Warlock'' she said quietly, ''A Deviant. Our abilities are much greater than those of any other Warlock, including some of the Princes. We were created to serve Gahi as he was the one who gave us our abilities’’ she started, looking down at her lap.

Tsunami stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

Kathrina sighed quietly, ‘’each of us were assigned to serve one higher rank Warlock for the rest of our lives - obviously, I was assigned to Elijah. At first, I was hostile towards him, I hated the idea of being under someone's command for my entire life... but he was different, I witnessed the way the other Deviants were treated, some were even killed for incorrectly following orders. But he was always so kind, so understanding... like he too hated the way we were treated’’ she said, looking over at him.

He nodded slowly, listening to every word she said.

She looked back down at her lap and dragged her fingers over the stone below, ‘’then one day, he did something... I don't know what, but somehow... I was free... I could think and act alone, my mind was my own... and it was the best feeling I have ever experienced - being an individual’’ she smiled, ‘’the need to serve Gahi was just… gone’’

Fascinated, Tsunami nodded, ‘’so, he freed you somehow?’’

Kathrina nodded and sighed, ‘’well, as time went on, he taught me to master my other abilities. We would spend every day together, training or just talking and I knew I had found someone I could finally trust. He made me who I am today. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be here right now, either I'd be dead... or worse, still trapped in compulsion, being controlled, used’’ she frowned, ‘’I still don't fully understand why he did what he did, but I am grateful. I owe him my life, but... I don’t know if he is still alive, he might have been caught... I didn't even get to thank him or say goodbye'' she said sadly.

Tsunami slowly put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him as she mourned, ''I promise you, Kathrina, I will help you find him'' he said.

She sat there, trying to hold her tears back, ''I didn't even get to say goodbye''

''I've had loved ones taken from me too'' he said sadly, ‘’I – ‘’

''No'' she said quietly, her speech slightly muffled where she was resting her head on Tsunami's shoulder, ''it wasn't like that... he was just the first one to ever care about me''

''I understand - trust me, you and I are not so different, we've both been through a lot'' he said quietly, trying to comfort her.

She frowned and pulled away from him, staring back down at the valley, ''I used to dream about seeing him again. I promised myself that I would see him again, that he was safe. There has not been one second since the day we parted that I haven't thought about him... not one second have I not missed him... I feel… incomplete without him. Even though I prefer to be by myself, I still wish he was by my side. Warlocks do not feel... but I...'' she sighed, ''I... feel'' she whispered, confused.

''You... feel? But Warlocks have no emotions... how can you feel? What do you feel?'' he asked curiously, leaning closer.

''I feel... empty... alone. It’s not that we don’t feel… we just… don’t understand what we feel, I guess’’ she explained.

He stared at her, both curious and confused. He could see something close to sadness in her eyes as she stared back, ''you are different, Kathrina. To me, you seem almost human. The way you speak... with such emotion...'' he paused and stared at her, she was staring back strangely, like he had offended her, ''well, changing the subject, why don't you tell me about you?'' he suggested, ''like how old are you?'' he asked nervously as he stared at her curiously.

''Why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?'' she asked, looking over at him, ‘’we were talking about Elijah’’ but then, she sighed deeply, ''I don't know, he told me I was Eighteen or something''

Tsunami seemed shocked, ''what?'' he asked – she was so small and didn’t look eighteen at all. He had at first thought she was no older than fourteen, but he was clearly wrong.

''Surprising, isn't it? To think that someone as young as me has such a dark past already''

''Well, not really. But how can you not know how old you are?''

''Warlocks are created, not born'' she said plainly, ‘’remember?’’

''What do you mean?'' he asked, ‘’like… explain that to me again’’

She frowned in revolt, ''I... have witnessed it. They take a Mage, or a Seer, even a Human... they strip them of their memory and power, if they have any. Then they force the power of a Warlock into them. They call it Lucious-kinus, this power. Some don't survive-''

Tsunami was horrified, ''I had no idea... I always thought Warlocks were born like seers... but created? That's... that's...''

''I know. Unimaginable, horrific. But it’s how it is. I don't know who I was before I became a Warlock, but I know for sure I wasn't Human... or a Seer, nor a Mage. I was something else... but I'm not sure what''

He was finding it hard to take in all he had just been told, ''I... they turn Seers into Warlocks?'' he asked, almost as if he was panicking.

She looked over at him strangely, ''what's wrong? You're shaking-''

''They wipe their memories... they...''

Kathrina then realized - ''did they take someone from you?'' she asked quietly.

''N-No, I... I don't know... I...'' he paused for a moment, ''they... were going to make me a Warlock?''

''What? They caught you?''

''A long time ago... it never occurred to me until now. I was wondering why they kept me alive for so long. But after I was pulled from my Realm, Gahi locked me away. I didn't know what he wanted with me, but he insisted I was kept alive. But somehow, my powers returned, more powerful than before, allowing me to escape... I don't remember much, but I felt as if the power of Poseidon had been bestowed upon me-''

''Poseidon?'' she asked strangely.

He nodded as he looked down at her, ''he is the God of my Realm. There was an old story that said a worthy subject would be granted his power in the time of need... I guess that was my time of need''

Kathrina’s intrigue was piqued. The thought of a whole new Realm as well as the talk of Gods had her excited. She didn’t know why, but she was enjoying learning all these new things. She shuffled closer and gazed up at him, ''can you get back to your Realm?''

''I don't know. But as I said... it's gone. I watched it... burn...'' he fell silent for a moment, ''but as I've been saying, you and I are not too different. We are both young and been through a lot already. It might not seem like a good thing to share, but both our pasts are dark. I guess it can be a good thing that we have something to relate with''

Tsunami was right. They were both so young to have been through what they had, losing their homes, family and friends. It wasn’t a great thing to have in common, but at least they could relate.

A gentle breeze passed by as Kathrina's dark brown hair floated slowly, revealing her shimmering green eyes more clearly. As she looked up, her slit-like pupils thinned. Tsunami’s pure black eyes didn't reflect the light like hers, but his short white and blue hair glistened gently.

''So... why do Warlocks eyes look like cat eyes?'' he asked suddenly, ''I mean, do they work like cat’s eyes? Allowing you to see in the dark?''

''You ask the most obscure questions, Tsunami... but yes, I suppose they do look and work like those of a cat'' she said, a faint smile showing on her face.


	4. No Ordinary Seer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow the Tumblr to support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/
> 
> An audio chapter is in the making.

Tsunami and Kathrina sat beside each other as the sun shone down on their faces. It was calm and peaceful, not a single worry clinging to either of them. Tsunami glanced over at Kathrina, smiling as he noticed the relaxed look on her face. He was glad that she had decided to stick around, and he was hoping that she’d decide to stay longer, maybe even for good. He hadn’t been with her very long at all, but in the time he had spent with her, he couldn’t help but feel content. She was different from everyone else he had met in Alvenguard, something about her was just so… alluring. But as she turned her head to look at him, he quickly looked away, hoping that she hadn’t caught him staring at her.

She had in fact caught him, but she felt no need to yell at him. She felt relaxed for the first time in a long time and she wanted to embrace that. Instead of scolding him for staring at her, she looked back out at the valley. After such a long time, she finally had hope of finding her friend again. Tsunami had sworn to help her and that gave her a long-awaited relief. She stared out at the valley, a slight smile appearing on her face as she thought about reuniting with her friend. She had so much to tell him, so much to ask – and she, for some reason, wanted to introduce him and Tsunami. She felt as though she owed Tsunami for giving her the chance he had, not just anyone would have offered to help her the way he had.

As the sun shined brightly down on them, Kathrina looked over at Tsunami, ‘’so… you’re really gonna help me find him?’’ she asked.

He looked over at her and nodded, ‘’of course’’ he smiled.

Pleased with his answer, she looked back down at the valley. However, as she sat there, an ominous feeling suddenly fell over her. The breeze seemed to carry danger with it, causing a cold shiver to run down Kathrina’s spine. She frowned, glaring ahead; something about this… it felt familiar. This sense of impending danger… no… she looked over at Tsunami –

Suddenly, a loud bang!!! echoed through the air from ahead. Moments later, a thick cloud of red smoke spewed into the air. Several other loud bangs followed, more red smoke clouds exploding into the sky as panic consumed the calm atmosphere. Tsunami instantly climbed to his feet, staring out at the valley in confusion.

Also climbing to her feet, Kathrina looked over at him, ‘’w-what is it?!’’ she asked desperately.

As another cloud of red smoke spewed into the air just a few miles out, Tsunami frowned in panic – he turned to face Shanloe and pointed at him, ‘’Warlocks!’’ he yelled, ‘’sound the alarm, they’re less than three miles out!’’

Shanloe nodded frantically, racing over to a large bell at the end of the wall. However, before he could reach it, out of nowhere, an arrow cut through the air, exploding through his head. As blood erupted from is head, he dropped to the ground, lifeless. The other scouts atop the wall started rushing around in frenzied panic, yelling amongst one another after witnessing their comrade’s death.

Tsunami shook his head and maintained his composure, ‘’hey!’’ he yelled, ‘’get your shit together, we’ve got Warlocks incoming!’’ he repeated.

On his word, the panicking scouts stopped panicking and looked to him for orders.

‘’You lot, get down to the city and warn Oswold, I’ll sound the alarm!’’ he instructed, making his way over to the bell that Shanloe had been heading for. Kathrina quickly followed him as the scouts rushed down the stairs to the city below. Reaching the bell, Tsunami abruptly pulled on a rope – the bell tolled loudly as he continued pulling the rope, but he was too distracted to notice the incoming arrow.

Quickly, Kathrina wielded her blade and swung it in front of Tsunami, deflecting the arrow before it hit him. He flinched in panic, ceasing to toll the bell as he looked over at her, ‘’what's going on?'' she asked quickly as Tsunami wielded his own sword, tolling the bell once more, ‘’what’s with that smoke?!’’ she asked, pointing out at the smoke with her sword.

Covering behind a crate, tsunami pulled her down with him, ‘’the long-range scouts: when they see incoming Warlocks, they fire red smoke into the air to warn the interior scouts, we must prepare!’’ he panicked, ‘’Warlocks… Warlocks… they… they’re coming!’’

She frowned and grabbed his trembling arms, ‘’why are you so panicky?’’ she asked, ‘’they’re just Warlocks!’’

He stared at her, trying to calm down. He wasn’t afraid of the Warlocks, no. He was glad in fact. He loved nothing more than killing Warlocks, but he was afraid for Kathrina. They had clearly come for her – what if they took her away from him? He frowned in confusion – why did he feel so attached already?! Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, he peeked over the barrel, a small group of blurred figures becoming visible in the valley below, ‘’I’m just… I… I – ‘’

‘’Tsunami!’’ she frowned, ‘’snap out of it!’’

Shaking his head, he looked up at her confused face, ‘’n-no, I’m… I’m alright’’ he said sternly, ‘’I… uh… the red smoke, it means that the long-range scouts have failed to stop them. We here have to prepare to fight them’’ he continued.

As scouts starting filing up onto the walls with bows and arrows, Kathrina frowned, ‘’so, what do we do?’’ she asked sternly.

Tsunami stared up at her, taking a few moments to process what was going on. Then, as he saw the scouts rushing over to him, he gained a stern look, determination driving him. The scouts rushed over, covering behind whatever objects they could, looking to Tsunami for orders. He frantically looked around at them all, ‘’are the ground forces ready?!’’ he yelled.

One of the scouts nodded, ‘’yes, Sir!’’ he replied, ‘’Oswold has them ready, awaiting your call!’’

Kathrina frowned; was Tsunami some kind of commander? Did he control this unit? She had thought he said that Oswold, that fat Baron controlled it… she frowned and sighed – now wasn’t the time to worry about stupid things like that. She looked back at Tsunami, ‘’what can I do?’’ she asked expectantly.

But as he looked back at her, he frowned hesitantly. He didn’t want to expose her, he didn’t want to put her at risk. In a battle such as the one coming, she could either be exposed as a Warlock, or the Warlock’s could take her. He didn’t want to lose her to them or to the Humans. No, he wasn’t going to let her get involved. But he knew how stubborn she was. How was he going to keep her from getting involved without directly denying her?

 

''We haven't had an attack in almost a year... why do they suddenly come now?'' one of the scouts muttered to another, making Tsunami frown in confliction.

The incoming Warlocks were clearly here because of Kathrina, but he wasn’t going to share that information with anyone. He looked over at her expectant face and frowned, ‘’I… need you to stay up here and assist the archers, can you do that?’’ he requested.

She frowned reluctantly but nodded, ‘’alright’’ she agreed.

As she agreed, Tsunami closed his eyes, focusing. Kathrina frowned, unsure what he was doing. But she didn’t question him; she could see that he was concentrating, so she wasn’t going to interfere. She looked over the barrel, seeing that the incoming Warlocks were just minutes away from being in combat range. Two of them had bows, firing arrows up at the walls – she quickly ducked, an arrow missing her head by mere inches. She then looked back to Tsunami, waiting for him to be done with whatever he was doing.

‘’Sir?!’’ one of the scouts called in panic, ‘’what do we have?!’’

Frowning, Tsunami opened his eyes, ‘’I sense eight targets – five Basic class, two Advanced and a single Master!’’ he announced, ‘’inform Oswold!’’

Nodding, the addressed scout scurried away, rushing down to the city below.

‘’How did you do that?’’ Kathrina asked curiously.

Tsunami looked over at her, ‘’I possess location and magic-determination magic. If I focus, I can tell what class a Warlock is by the strength of their magic’’ he explained quickly, peeking over the barrel once again, ‘’a Master… ‘’ he mumbled, ‘’hopefully he doesn’t cause too much trouble’’

Kathrina then moved closer to him, ‘’I can help fight him – ‘’

‘’No’’ Tsunami denied, ‘’you need to stay up here and protect the archers!’’

‘’But – ‘’

‘’Sir, they’re ready!’’ the scout called, rushing back over to Tsunami – in the blink of an eye, Kathrina sprung forward, swinging her sword forward. She deflected an arrow before it could pierce the scout’s head, saving his life.

As she rejoined him, Tsunami grabbed her wrist, ‘’see? They need you’’ he pleaded.

She was hesitant, but agreed, trusting that Tsunami could deal with the Master Warlock.

‘’I’ll come back here as soon as I can’’ he said humbly, ‘’just… don’t leave the wall, okay?’’

Frowning unsurely, she nodded, ‘’um… okay’’

Then, Tsunami climbed to his feet and rushed off, hurrying down to the city below. Kathrina shuffled over to the edge of the wall, staring down at the city below. There was a large crowd of armed men holdings swords lined up below, Oswold standing in front of them all. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was easy to tell that the fat baron was barking orders at them, all of them saluting, yelling back to him simultaneously.

Once Tsunami joined Oswold, it seemed as though they were ready, all of them facing the gate. She shuffled over to the other side of the wall, peeking over the barrel – the Warlocks were just moments away; she looked over at the scouts and frowned, all of them panicking, visibly trembling with fear. Did Humans really fear Warlocks this much? She knew that they were afraid, but not like this. She felt conflicted, guilty; the Warlocks were only here because of her, she knew that. If she left, no one would get hurt. They were after her, not them… but if she left, she’d be throwing away the only chance she had of seeing Elijah again – she’d also be throwing away Tsunami, someone that seemed to care about her.

She ducked back down, leaning back against the barrel. What should she do?

 

Below, Tsunami was preparing to lead the battalion of Oswold’s men out to fight. He held his shimmering blue sword in his right hand, glaring out through the gate at the small group of incoming Warlocks. They were all following behind what Tsunami presumed to be the Master Warlock, the one he was planning to head straight to and take on himself. He glanced back at the battalion behind him, all of which were waiting for his orders. The fact that Oswold relied on him to lead his men during times of battle frustrated him, but it gave him a sense of power that he wasn’t afraid to admit he liked. He then looked up at the wall above, hoping that Kathrina was going to remain with the archers.

Glaring out at the Warlocks again, he scowled evilly, ready to fight. Without hesitation, he held up his left hand and pointed forward, ‘’attack!’’ he commanded.

As soon as he said, the battalion charged forward, filing out through the gate, heading for the Warlocks. Most of the fighters were Seers, so they were able to match up to Warlocks, possessing similar telekinetic abilities. Tsunami stood beside Oswold, watching as the battalion engaged in combat with the Warlocks, clashing their blades, wrestling with magic. He set his eyes on the Master, trying to get a quick read on him. Once he knew what the master was capable of, he’d head out there and swiftly take him out. But he couldn’t wait too long; the battalion wasn’t much larger than the Warlock force, so he’d have to act as quickly as possible and join the fight before the battalion’s numbers started dropping.

Oswold then looked over at Tsunami, ‘’aye, where’s the little Seer lass? Ain’t she ‘sposed to know a lot ‘bout Warlocks?’’ he asked frantically, looking back out at the battle outside the walls.

‘’She’s up on the wall helping the archers’’ he answered, still glaring out at the master Warlock, ‘’don’t worry, I’ve got this’’ he assured him.

The baron frowned in worry, ‘’then what are ye waiting for?! Get ou’ there n’ kill those damn Warlocks ‘fore they get too close!’’ he ordered.

He didn’t hesitate; Tsunami may control the battalion, but Oswold had power over him. He sprinted out of the gate, his eyes set upon the Master Warlock. He watched as his chosen target effortlessly slew one of the battalion members with a shimmering steel sword, his blood spraying onto the gravel-covered ground as the Master laughed harshly. Tsunami scowled evilly, moving as quickly as he could, trying to reach him before he killed anyone else. His anger was raging within him, the Warlock’s wicked laughter enraging him.

But the Warlock had noticed Tsunami incoming. He kicked away the dead battalion member and turned to face Tsunami, laughing. He wore a Human-like skull over his head, a few locks of dark red hair flowing out through the bottom and a few cracks in the sides. He was wearing black robes which were blowing around in the bitter breeze, his yellow eyes glistening through the skull’s eyes. He lifted and pointed his blade at Tsunami, waiting for him to get close enough.

However, Tsunami wasn’t a fool when it came to combat. It seemed like the Warlock thought he was going to just recklessly run straight at him – but no, Tsunami had a plan that would allow him to swiftly take down this Warlock without injury to himself or any of the other battalion members. He had to be careful though; he needed to take down the Master before he could start using his magic, otherwise he could destroy half the city. Luckily, the other Warlocks were distracted with the battalion members, so there was no risk of them aiming at the city. All he had to do was quickly deal with the Master.

Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, Tsunami reached the master – but as the Warlocks swung his sword forward, Tsunami dodged to the side, bringing his blade up towards the Master’s exposed front. However, the Warlock was smarter than he had thought. Before Tsunami could hit him, the Warlock spun on his heel, dodging Tsunami’s attack – this time, Tsunami was exposed. But he, too, managed to dodge, ducking under the Warlock’s blade. He then swung around to face his opponent, an evil glare on his face. This was going to take longer than he had hoped.

The Warlock laughed crazily, swinging his sword forward again, but even he could see that that wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Tsunami held his sword out, blocking the Warlock’s attack – but then, the Warlock held out his left hand, a golden aura starting to surround it. Tsunami panicked, realizing that he was charging a magic attack, but he didn’t let his panic distract him. Swiftly, he pulled his blade from the Warlock’s and swung his sword forward – the Warlock yelled in agony as Tsunami relentlessly sliced his hand from his wrist, keeping him from using magic as he had planned. The Warlock swung his sword forward again, his maniacal laughter now angered, pained yells.

Tsunami laughed in amusement as the Warlock tried to fight him with just one hand, but he couldn’t toy with him for too long. Warlocks had very responsive healing powers, so his hand would start to heal back very soon. As Tsunami continued clashing blades with the Warlock, a rain of arrows fell down from above. He glanced up at the wall, seeing that Kathrina had ordered the scouts to attack. He smirked, looking back over his shoulder, watching as the arrows sent the other Warlocks in a confused frenzy – but he had let himself become distracted for a second too long.

Suddenly, the Master Warlock harshly kicked Tsunami’s side, sending him crashing to the ground, losing his grip on his sword which skidded across the ground and out of reach. Panicking, he rolled over onto his back just in time – he grabbed the end of the Warlock’s blade just as he was about to stab it down into him. The two of them struggled, grunting; blood seeped from Tsunami’s hands as he gripped the blade, stopping the Warlock from impaling him. The Warlock yelled furiously, irritated by Tsunami’s persistence. He tried to overpower him, but Tsunami wasn’t going to give in.

As the Warlock glared down at him, Tsunami scowled back, ‘’w-why… are you here?!’’ he growled, struggling to keep the blade from edging closer and closer to him.

His hand started to heal back, and as it did, he laughed evilly, ‘’you know exactly why we’re here’’ he grinned, slamming his now healed hand atop his other, pushing aggressively on his blade, trying to impale Tsunami who still wouldn’t let up.

Tsunami frowned; he knew that they were here for Kathrina – and he wasn’t going to let them take her. He had promised to keep her safe, so he was going to do just that.

As he struggled, his blood around the blade began to freeze, a thin frosty mist seeping out through his fingers. The Warlock frowned in confusion – suddenly, as Tsunami grunted in struggle, ice began to spread up the blade from his hands. As the Warlock seemed to panic, Tsunami took his chance to escape; he kicked the Warlock’s shin, sending him stumbling back. He rolled over onto his side and scrambled to his feet, rushing over to his sword. He instantly recovered it from the ground and turned around in time to block the Warlock’s ice-covered blade – upon contact with Tsunami’s blade, the Warlock’s frozen sword smashed into pieces, leaving him weaponless and confused.

He seized his chance to end him, plunging his shimmering blue sword forward. However, the Warlock wasn’t done yet. He dodged to the side, reached out and grabbed Tsunami’s wrist, and before Tsunami could try to escape, the Warlock pulled harshly and with such strength, pulling Tsunami off his feet. He swung him around and threw him through the air – Tsunami grunted painfully as he hit the ground once again, but this time, he had managed to keep hold of his sword.

But the Warlock didn’t come at him with a weapon; Tsunami had no time to recover, no time to prepare… the Warlock held out his left hand, a golden aura surrounding it. The Warlock grinned evilly as he watched panic smother Tsunami’s face – he was finished.

 

Atop the wall, Kathrina stared down at the battle. She watched as the battalion managed to take down two of the Warlocks rather quickly, the rain of arrows she had just ordered assisting them. The Warlocks were distracted by the arrows raining down upon them, and the battalion took that chance to attack. Using their Seer magic, they created shields over themselves, protecting themselves from the arrows as they continued to fight. In just moments of her ordered attack, two more of the six remaining Warlocks were slain. She smirked, glad to see that the Warlocks were failing in their attack. Perhaps Tsunami was right, maybe she really would be safe here.

However, as she set her eyes upon Tsunami, her smirk faded. She watched as he struggled against the Master Warlock, and as he was thrown across the ground, a sense of panic started to build up within her. She stood there, staring, waiting – he’d get up, right? She had only been with him a little while, but in that time she had seen that he was a skilled fighter, having managed to take down the Master Warlock that would have captured her in the valley. But this time, he wasn’t getting up. The Warlock prowled over to him, a clear intent to kill on his face – she had to do something.

She felt the need to assist him – she couldn’t just leave him. He had done so much for her already and she had done nothing for him. But what could she do? If she wanted to save him, there was no way to do it without exposing herself – she couldn’t just do nothing and leave the Warlock to kill him though. As her panic increased, she frantically looked around at all of the archers; they were distracted firing arrows, so they wouldn’t notice if she used a little Warlock magic, right? She looked back down at the Warlock and Tsunami, seeing that the Warlock was just moments from using magic to kill Tsunami who had no time to act –

As an evil scowl covered her face, she held out her right hand, a golden aura smothering it. She concentrated, glaring down at the Warlock – and just moments before he could attack, she grunted, struggling… the Warlock stopped in his tracks, confusion smothering both his and Tsunami’s face as a golden aura started to surround and strangle him like snakes. She didn’t waste any time either; now that she had him enthralled in the aura, she could send him away, but as she stood there, she realized that most of the archers had stopped what they were doing and were staring at her, muttering to one another with wary, confused looks on their faces.

It didn’t matter though. So what? They had found out, they were bound to find out at some point, right? She scowled and focused: what mattered now was saving Tsunami and disposing of the Master Warlock – however, as she frowned in confusion, she watched as Tsunami scrambled to his feet, grabbed his weapon and moved towards the Warlock. Mercilessly, he plunged his sword into the frozen Warlock’s chest, ending him. As he turned to stone, Kathrina lowered her hand, staring down at Tsunami.

‘’You… you’re a Warlock!’’ one of the archers yelled in panic.

Kathrina sharply turned her head and looked at him – what should she say? Should she own up? Should she try to deny it? She felt so conflicted, worried – but she had to say something. The battalion were still fighting the last of the Warlocks below and she couldn’t let them become distracted with her. She frantically shook her head, ‘’n-no!’’ she denied, ‘’I’m not a Warlock!’’

‘’Look at her eyes!’’ another panicked, pointing at her, ‘’she’s just like them!’’

She shook her head again, backing off as two of the archers sheathed their bows and pulled swords out, starting to move cautiously towards her. She wanted to reach for her own sword, but that would give them more reason to attack. She held out her hands, ‘’I-I’m not the enemy!’’ she insisted, ‘’I’m… I’m… I’m Tsunami’s friend!’’

‘’You deceived him, didn’t you?! Did you think you could deceive us too?!’’ one of the sword-wielding archers yelled.

Shaking her head again, she looked at them both in panic, ‘’I’m – ‘’ but then, she sharply turned her head, seeing that Tsunami was assisting the battalion in taking down the remaining Warlocks. She looked back at the archers, ‘’the enemy is down there!’’ she yelled, ‘’don’t stop firing or you’ll – ‘’

‘’Look at her tryna talk her way out!’’ yelled another as he wielded his sword and joined the other archers in prowling towards her.

‘’Nothing’s gonna save you’’ the first growled, ‘’we’ll kill you where you stand, you Warlock filth!’’

She glared at them, her hand aching with angst the grab her sword, but she resisted. She didn’t want to attack, she didn’t want to give them what they wanted. As the battle raged below, she turned her head and looked down again, watching as the battalion started to struggle without their archers – ‘’what the hell are you doing?!’’ she growled, glaring at them all, ‘’they’re gonna die down there if you don’t – ‘’

‘’Shut up!’’ the first archers warned, pointing his blade at her face.

‘’You’re all morons!’’ she yelled back, ‘’no wonder you cower away behind these walls!’’

They all stopped for a moment, looking around at each other.

Kathrina pointed harshly at them, ‘’get back to firing, or their blood’ll be on your hands!’’ she warned. Then, she rushed forward, barging past them all –

‘’S-She’s tryna get away!’’

One of the archers smacked him over the head, ‘’aye, she’s right – resume firing!’’ he commanded in panic, ‘’we’ll get ‘er after’’ he grinned.

 

Kathrina wasted no time at all; she sprinted down the stairs and into the city, rushing towards the gate that led outside. Oswold eyed her strangely, but she ignored the fat baron, setting her eyes upon Tsunami as he came into view. To her surprise and relief, the archers above had continued firing, their rain of arrows distracting the remaining Warlocks as the battalion fought them. But the archers brief pause had given the Warlocks time to recover, and the battalion were now down to no more than three men as well as Tsunami, with four Warlocks remaining.

As she sprinted out the gate, she watched as Tsunami and two of the battalion members took out another Warlock, but at the same time, one of the other Warlocks slashed his sword at one of the battalion members. He dropped to the ground, his weapon falling beside him. He held up his hands, trying to scurry away – Tsunami and his comrades were too far away, but were already rushing towards him. Kathrina could see that they weren’t going to make it, and now that she was exposed, what would be the point in holding back?

She came to an abrupt halt, skidding across the gravel-covered ground as she held out her hands, a golden aura wrapping around them. In just seconds, a telekinetic blast erupted form her hands, colliding with the Warlock. He was propelled back and away from the battalion member. She lowered her hands as Tsunami leaped forward, plunging his sword through the Warlock’s chest, ending him. The other battalion members helped their comrade to his feet, but it wasn’t over yet.

However, Kathrina planned to end it right here, right now. She held up her hands again, using the same magic that had frozen the master Warlock to restrict the remaining Warlocks from moving. But as she did, the battalion and Tsunami stared over at her –

‘’S-She’s – ‘’

‘’What are you waiting for?!’’ she yelled, ‘’kill them!’’

They all looked over their shoulders in confusion, but when they noticed the frozen Warlocks, they burst into action. They slew the Warlocks effortlessly, but the fact that they had won the battle didn’t take their fear away. Kathrina frowned in confusion as the battalion then turned to face her, standing behind Tsunami. Of course, they had seen her magic, they had seen that she was a Warlock, and as all Humans were, they were afraid. She knew what was next, she knew what was going to happen. But as she stood there, she set her eyes upon Tsunami.

Unlike the battalion, he didn’t have a wary, terrified look on his face. He looked relieved, grateful… but the same couldn’t be said for the soldiers that were rushing towards her from the city behind.


	5. The Deviant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow the Tumblr to support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/

Tsunami frowned slightly, ‘’what did you go and do that for?!’’ he exclaimed quietly, looking back at the last remaining battalion members as they started mumbling to one another, ‘’they saw you!’’

She frowned strangely, ‘’what I did was to help!’’ she said, astounded that not one of them had thanked her for her assistance.

He stepped forward, but before he could say anything else, the rest of the soldiers had made their way over. Their leader stepped forward and pointed his sword at Kathrina who went to point her own blade back at him, but Tsunami grabbed her wrist, stopping her from doing so. The leading soldier glared down at her with both hatred and panic in his eyes as she glared back, trying not to pull free from Tsunami.

The leader gritted his teeth, ‘’explain yourself!’’ he demanded, but then looked to Tsunami before Kathrina could even speak a word, ‘’what the hell is this?!’’ he yelled, glaring at him, ‘’you brought a Warlock to our city!’’

‘’You brought the enemy to us!’’ one of the other soldiers yelled.

Shaking his head insistently, Tsunami pulled Kathrina behind him and confronted the soldiers, ‘’she isn’t the enemy!’’ he insisted, ‘’she helped us!’’

‘’She’s a damn Warlock!’’ one of the battalion members yelled from behind Tsunami, ‘’all Warlocks are the enemy!’’

‘’She’s not!’’ he yelled, looking back at the battalion and then to the soldiers again, ‘’she’s not like other Warlocks! She killed that Master – she killed all these Warlocks, she’s not with them!’’

‘’She could have her own damn agenda!’’ one of them called, ‘’for all we know, she could have killed those Warlocks in front of us to try and gain our trust, and strike when we think she’s our friend!’’ he yelled, looking around at all of his comrades and then to their leader, ‘’we should execute her where she stands!’’

Their leader stepped closer, but Tsunami smacked his blade aside and glared at him, ‘’you damn morons!’’ he yelled, keeping Kathrina behind him who was watching with both anger and curiosity, ‘’you’re all the fucking same! Too damn scared to welcome new possibilities!’’ he yelled.

All of them frowned and looked at one another strangely.

‘’You Humans are all the same: you hide behind your walls, you kill whatever scares you and don’t even stop to think that maybe – just maybe not everything is your enemy!’’

‘’And who the hell are you to tell us this?!’’ the lead soldier yelled furiously, ‘’you’re just some street rat that Oswold took in!’’ he growled, ‘’who the hell do you think you are?!’’

Before Tsunami could speak, Oswold cleared his throat loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention. All of the soldiers immediately stood to attention, staring at the chubby man as he made his way through the crowd of soldiers, keeping a sceptical, cautious eye on both Tsunami and Kathrina. He stopped a few feet in front of them and frowned, chewing on a smoking pipe as he eyed them closely.

‘’S-Sir!’’ the lead soldier called humbly, ‘’she’s a Warlock!’’

‘’Aye, I know’’ he puffed, looking down at her as she stood beside Tsunami, glaring up at him. But to the surprise of all his men, Oswold didn’t seem at all unsettled. He leaned forward, his face just inches from Kathrina’s, and frowned strangely, ‘’say, lil’ lassie… ye really a Warlock?’’ he asked slowly, ‘’ain’t Warlocks ‘sposed to be all lads?’’

Tsunami nodded, ‘’s-see! She’s not – ‘’

‘’Silence!’’ Oswold snapped, glancing at Tsunami who instantly fell silent. The chubby man pulled his pipe from his mouth and glared back into Kathrina’s shimmering emerald eyes, watching as her cat-like pupils thinned, ‘’aye, them eyes sure say Warlock’’ he agreed, looking back at his panicked men, ‘’but the lil lassie ain’t attacking us… tell me, are ye with them…’’ he asked, looking over at the stone Warlock corpses, ‘’or wi’ us?’’

Kathrina frowned, ‘’what does it matter? They’ll still try to kill me anyway’’ she said, glaring at the soldiers who glared back.

Oswold stood up straight and chuckled slightly, ‘’no need to worry lassie’’ he grinned, ‘’if ye wi’ us, I’ll boot anyone who tries to harm ye out into the wilderness’’

She frowned, ‘’why are you so… calm?’’

He then leaned closer, so close that she gagged at the stench of his breath, ‘’unlike me men, I trust Tsunami’’ he said quietly, ‘’lil shit came here many a year ago’’ he started, glancing at Tsunami who rolled his eyes irritably, ‘’ever since ‘e showed ‘is face ‘ere, shit’s been good. Not one thing ‘e’s told me has been wrong, so I trust ‘im. If ‘e says you’re not on them Warlock’s side, then I believe ‘im’’ he answered, standing back up.

‘’B-But Sir, she’s… a Warlock!’’ one of the battalion members called from behind Tsunami.

‘’Shut yer trap!’’ Oswold called, pointing at him, ‘’but yer got a point’’ he nodded, looking around at all his unsettled men, ‘’the lassie is a Warlock’’

Tsunami frowned, ‘’so?’’

‘’Well, we’s gotta do somethin’ with ‘er’’ the baron said.

But Kathrina shook her head, ‘’I’ll just… leave’’ she said, ‘’I can’t stay here anymore’’

‘’Too right you can’t!’’ one of the soldiers yelled harshly.

Scowling at the soldier, Tsunami slowly looked down at her, ‘’you don’t have to leave’’ he said sternly.

Before Kathrina could interject, Oswold nodded, ‘’aye, right’’ he said, ‘’you’s a valuable asset to us now. A friendly Warlock? I can jus’ imagine all the shit you could tell us about your kind’’

‘’Stuff even we didn’t know’’ Tsunami nodded, seeing that Oswold was trying to convince his men.

The baron looked back at his men, waiting for one of them to dare to disagree. They all glanced at one another, waiting to see if anyone had anything to say. Seeing that they were going to remain silent, Oswold nodded and looked back down at Kathrina, ‘’aye, lis’en lassie’’ he said as she looked back up at him, ‘’I trust ye, but me men don’t, and no one else is gonna trust ye either – until someone can prove yer tellin’ the truth’’ he smirked.

‘’How is someone supposed to prove if I’m telling the truth or not?’’ she grumbled.

‘’Uhh… ‘’ Tsunami frowned, ‘’are you talking about… Opus?’’ he asked, looking at Oswold.

He chuckled and put his pipe back in his mouth, ‘’that old fucker can do jus’ aboot anythin’’’ he said.

‘’What’s an Opus?’’ Kathrina asked, looking up at Tsunami.

‘’Opus’’ Oswold said, ‘’some ol’ Mage who works for the General’’ he explained, ‘’if anyone can tell if yer really on our side or not, it’s ‘im’’

She frowned sceptically as she looked back at Oswold, ‘’how does he do that exactly?’’

‘’Aye, you’ll see’’ he said, turning around, ‘’come on, we’ll get ri’ to ‘im’’

She looked up at Tsunami again as Oswold started walking back towards the city, ‘’I… don’t understand’’ she frowned, ‘’why… why isn’t he chasing me out? Trying to kill me?’’

‘’He should be’’ one of the soldiers called harshly.

The baron looked back over his shoulder at them, ‘’aye, you lot, stay on yer guard n’ look out for more Warlocks’’ he ordered, ‘’and ye two, get your asses over ‘ere’’ he called, looking at Tsunami and Kathrina.

Tsunami didn’t refuse. He grabbed Kathrina’s wrist and rushed to catch up with Oswold, walking behind him as he led the way forward. She growled irritably and pulled her wrist from his hand, glaring up at him as he frowned down at her.

‘’What?’’ he asked.

‘’You didn’t answer my question!’’ she growled, ‘’why the heck is fatty so open and welcoming?’’ she grumbled.

He shrugged, ‘’seems like Humans are more open that we thought’’ he said.

‘’We?’’ she frowned, ‘’you’re a Seer, Seers are just Humans with magic’’ she said sceptically.

Tsunami glanced down at her, ‘’uh, well… yeah’’ he answered, ‘’just… a figure of speech’’

 

As Oswold reached the gate, Tsunami and Kathrina stopped behind him. The guards panicked and pointed their swords at her, having seen what had happened, but Oswold shook his head, telling them to stand down. They did as he said but kept their eyes on Kathrina as she and Tsunami followed the baron into the city. As she followed, she looked back at the scowling guards and smirked mockingly, knowing that they wanted nothing more than to kill her.

They walked through the town square which was flooded with soldiers and panicked civilians, all of which stared sceptically at Kathrina as she followed Oswold and Tsunami to a small hut-like building sitting beside what appeared to be a jail. The baron pulled the door open, standing aside to let Tsunami and Kathrina enter first. As they walked in, he followed.

But moments after they entered, a guard stopped the pair in their tracks. He glared down at them, but as he saw Oswold appear behind them, he frowned, ‘’Sir, what is the meaning of this?’’ he asked, ‘’have the enemy been defeated?’’

‘’Aye’’ Oswold called, shoving past Kathrina and Tsunami, standing in front of them, ‘’I got this wee lassie ‘ere – I need Opus ta take a look at ‘er’’ he explained, tucking his pipe into his pocket.

‘’Yes, Sir’’ the guard nodded, stepping aside, allowing them to pass.

They followed him into a rather gloomy room, setting their eyes upon a tall, broad, young-looking man sat in a brown leather armchair. He frowned as he watched Oswold lead them in, obviously waiting for an explanation.

‘’What is this?’’ he asked, eying Oswold.

The baron saluted the sitting man, ‘’this lassie – Opus should take a look at ‘er. She’s a Warlock, aye, but Tsunami ‘ere claims she’s different’’

The man didn’t flinch at the mention of Kathrina being a Warlock. He frowned and glanced at her as she scowled back, ‘’Warlock?’’ he asked. He sighed lazily and rested his chin in his hand as he looked back at Oswold, ‘’why do you waste my time, Oswold?’’ he grumbled, ‘’just execute her’’ he said, waving his hand.

The guard they had passed on the way in stepped forward, about to do as he had said –

‘’W-Wait, General!’’ Tsunami pleaded, ‘’j-just… give her a chance!’’ he insisted, grabbing Kathrina’s wrist again as she went to pull her sword from its sheath.

The General grumbled loudly, ‘’fine, fine’’ he sighed, leaning back in his seat, ‘’get that damn old fuck’’ he said, looking at the guard as he clicked his fingers impatiently against the arm of his seat.

Nodding, the guard walked past Kathrina and Tsunami, disappearing into a door just behind where the General was sitting. A few moments later, the door opened again, the guard walking out with a very odd-looking man behind him. He was at least six feet tall, wearing white Warlock-like robes and carrying what looked like a staff in his left hand. He was clearly older than everyone else in the room, his skin wrinkled and hair long and greyed, covering all of his face apart from his right, pupil-less dark purple coloured eye and half of his mouth.

As the guard closed the door and stood in front of it, the old man that had followed him in made his way over to the General and stood beside him, waiting for instructions.

''This here... Warlock, is said to be on our side'' the General said as he waved his hand around, pointing to Kathrina who pouted irritably at him.

The old man blinked slowly and looked over at Kathrina, ‘’Warlock… yes?’’ he asked slowly, his voice deep and coarse, sounding as if he had a toad stuck in his throat.

Tsunami leaned over to Kathrina, ‘’that's Mage Opus’’ he said quietly as Opus looked down at the General who started muttering to him. As Kathrina glared at Opus, Tsunami frowned, ‘’he’s uh… a little odd, but all the higher ranks trust him. Somehow, he knows anything there is to know about someone, something, somewhere. He can tell just by looking at someone that they’re lying’’ he explained in what seemed like both caution and awe.

Kathrina scoffed, ‘’just looks like someone’s granddad’’

Opus slowly turned his head and looked at Kathrina, ‘’you would do well to co-operate, yes?’’ he asked.

She frowned, looking over at Tsunami who nodded. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Opus, ‘’yeah, I will’’ she grumbled.

Opus moved a few steps closer, staring at her with his purple eye, ''you... are unusual... to me, yes… I, in my many years, have never seen a female Warlock’’ he said slowly.

''The Warlocks believe females are inferior and weaker than men’’ Kathrina explained, ‘’that's why I'm the first you have seen - whatever I was before they made me a Warlock, they must have been desperate for'' she said quietly.

''You... were not Human, yes?'' he asked.

Oswold, the General, the guard and Tsunami looked strangely at Opus as he questioned Kathrina.

She shrugged and frowned slightly, ‘’I don't know’’ she answered, ‘’but like I said, I must have been something they wanted desperately. When I was back in the Kingdom, they never recruited any other women’’

The old man nodded slowly, ‘’I have seen and learnt much in my years, yes. Warlocks... are powerful, with the ability to create other Warlocks from Humans, Seers, or even Mages... but you... were something different, yes?''

Kathrina stared at the ground, confused, ''I don't know''

‘’Wait, you knew that Warlocks were created and not born?’’ Tsunami frowned, ‘’why did you never tell us this?’’

Ignoring Tsunami, Opus stared at Kathrina, ''hmm... how... are you here? You are not controlled, yes?''

''No, I was freed from the compulsion the higher Warlocks had over me. I have self-control''

''You... are free, yes?''

''Yeah. They can’t control me. They refer to me as a Deviant, meaning I’m different''

''Then, if you are as you say you are, you will tell us why you are here, yes?''

Kathrina looked up at Opus, ''I don't have a real reason for being here, I don't even want to be here. All I came here for was to kill your Werewolf and get the money’’ she shrugged. But as Tsunami nudged her shoulder, she sighed irritably, ‘’but I share the same hatred for Warlocks as Humanity and the Seers. They took my freedom, and I’ll never know who I really am or anything of my life before they made me one of them. They took my only friend, I don't know if he's still alive, but I want to find out. I plan to kill every Warlock that stands in my way, and then I’ll kill Gahi, the highest of Warlocks, the one who made me like them'' she growled, glaring into Opus’ single eye.

Opus gazed at her, ''you... want revenge, yes?'' he asked, tilting his head to the left slightly.

She took a deep breath, ''I want them to pay for what they did to me. Warlocks are parasites, walking this Realm like they own it, killing those they think are inferior to them... they need to die... and I'm the one who will kill them all'' she said, angered.

Everyone stared at her, but Opus seemed confused, ''yes... a Warlock that kills Warlocks... that... intrigues me, yes?'' he turned to the General, ''she, for sure, is not with the Warlocks, yes. She has expressed and convinced that to me... but... being a Warlock, we are unsure of your power, yes?'' he said, turning back to her.

''My Warlock class is Prime, one level below Prince. I have healing powers, and high resistance to magic. That's all that matters'' she explained.

Opus dropped to the ground and crawled over to her, the General catching his staff before it hit the floor. Opus crouched below her and grabbed her chin, crouching enough so that his eyes were level with hers. He stared closely into her eyes as she gasped in shock and disgust, ''yes... deviant indeed... your eyes are emerald in color, yes...'' he said and then let go of her as she pulled away and backed off, staring down at him in disgust. He then squatted on the floor as he turned to face the General, ''she will help us, yes?''

The General slowly stood up, ''Opus... he is my closest friend. I trust him, he is highly skilled in finding liars'' he said, staring at Kathrina, ''you, Warlock, will be allowed to remain here, and stay in the Seer fort,'' he began, handing Opus his staff back as he remained on the floor, crouching, ''but you will share with us what knowledge you have of... your kind’’

''You're... just going to let a Warlock walk around our city?'' the guard asked.

''This particular Warlock is our ally... do you have a problem?'' the General asked as he stared at the guard.

''Uhh... no, sir''

''Good. Now, we will arrange another meeting here, where you, Warlock, will share what you know. You - '' he said as he pointed to the guard, '' - share the news of our new... friend'' he instructed and then turned around without another word and walked out of the door. Opus climbed to his feet and followed, leaving in silence.

Tsunami blinked slowly and looked at Kathrina, ''I... was not expecting that'' he said, laughing nervously as he dragged his hand over the back of his head.

‘’That old dude is even weirder than you’’ she pouted, looking up at him.

He frowned, ‘’I’m not weird’’

Before Kathrina could say anything, Oswold chuckled loudly, ‘’gah, look at you two kids’’ he smirked, ‘’lucky you Tsunami, looks like your girlfriend gets to say’’ he teased.

‘’I’m not his girlfriend!’’ Kathrina snapped, glaring at the Baron.

‘’Aye, looks like he wants you to be’’ Oswold smirked, nudging Tsunami’s arm with his elbow, ‘’aye, right?’’

As his face turned red with embarrassment, Tsunami backed away from the Baron, ‘’n-no, she’s just my friend’’ he mumbled.

Oswold laughed, shaking his head, ‘’aye, whatever ye wanna call it’’

Rolling his eyes, Tsunami looked back at Kathrina, ‘’well, I guess it all worked out, huh?’’

‘’What now?’’ she grumbled, ‘’I just go back to the fort like nothing happened?’’

‘’Aye, it won't be long ‘til the whole city knows what ye are... it depends if they accept it or not. But aye, ye should go back to the fort'' the Baron answered, ‘’the General’s gonna wanna know all ye know about Warlocks soon, so ye should get ready for that. Ye got a Werewolf to hunt too, so I would start doing tha’ if I were you’’

Nodding in agreement, Tsunami looked back at Kathrina, ‘’let’s head back, I’m sure we could both do with some rest before you start with that’’ he said, starting to lead the way out.

Following, Oswold chuckled again, ‘’aye, ye two kids don’t be getting up to anythin’ now, I think it’s a ‘lil too arly in ye relationship for that’’

Kathrina moved to attack the baron, but Tsunami grabbed her and pulled her out of the building, ‘’Kathrina, calm down’’ he mumbled as she tried to pull free from him, ‘’he’s just being funny’’

‘’It’s not funny!’’ she growled.

Also stepping out of the building, Oswold looked at them both, ‘’aye, well, ye two best get on with what yer doing, I got some shit to do’’

‘’Like get drunk and eat until food’s coming out your fat eyes?’’ Kathrina growled.

He nodded, ‘’aye, jus’ that’’ he grinned. Then, he turned around and walked off, leaving them alone.

‘’Get off me!’’ she growled, pulling free from Tsunami.

He let go of her and frowned, ‘’don’t let small things like that get to you – ‘’

‘’Well you weren’t really doing anything to stop him, were you?!’’ she pouted.

Tsunami shrugged, ‘’if he knows you don’t like something, he’ll keep doing it, that’s why you’re supposed to just ignore him and he’ll forget eventually’’

 

‘’Whatever’’ she pouted, ‘’what's the deal with that creepy Opus mage anyway?''

‘’He's old, not only that, he spent a long time living with goblins’’ he explained, starting to lead the way back to the Seer fort, ignoring all the mutters and sceptical faces staring at him and Kathrina.

Also ignoring them, Kathrina frowned, ''why would anyone want to be anywhere near goblins?'' she asked, looking up at Tsunami.

He shrugged, ''a long time ago, he fled from his village which was attacked by Warlocks. They were following him for quite some time before he fell into some cavern. The Goblins found him; he's a Mage, so he easily convinced them he was their friend – because, you know, Goblins are fascinated by just about anything. I think he told them he was sent to teach them to make fire or something. Anyway, he stayed with them for a couple of years before he found this place. It only used to be a small town below the Seer fort, but ever since Opus and more Seers turned up, it got bigger and bigger. I've only been here a while though, I have no idea what it used to look like, I’ve just heard from other people''

''So, that's what's with the 'yes' crap?'' she mocked.

''I do believe so’’ Tsunami smiled, ‘’most of us call him Hopeless Opus because sometimes he rants on and on and it’s hard to understand him'' he laughed, leading the way onto a deserted street leading up to the fort, ‘’anyways, when we get there… uh… just… some of the Seers might try stuff, so… don’t give them what they want’’ he warned.

Kathrina frowned irritably, ''you mean they're all convinced I'm gonna kill you all or something?''

''Most likely. It wouldn't surprise me if the fighters have made up a load of shit, too scared to see past their petty human fears-''

Kathrina stopped and looked at him strangely, ''you sound like a Warlock'' she said, glaring up at him, starting to walk again.

Tsunami followed but didn't say anything. He knew what he sounded like, but he wasn’t anything like a Warlock. If anything, he was worse than a Warlock, but that was something he didn’t exactly want to share with Kathrina. He sighed and followed her, hoping that nothing else would happen today.

The two walked in silence towards the fort. As they did, many of the villagers stared at Kathrina, some cowering behind others in fear. But as they got closer to the fort, a group of Seers ran out of the courtyard and approached the two. A tall, clean-shaven man stood in front of them all and stared down at them, tapping his fingers against his thigh as he watched them get closer.

As they reached him, he frowned, ''so,'' he began, ''it’s true then? You really are a Warlock?''

The pair stopped in front of him and his group, unsure of how to answer. Both Kathrina and Tsunami wanted to avoid conflict – Tsunami, however, knew this Seer, and he knew that conflict wasn’t something easy to avoid with him.

In the blink of an eye, the Seer grabbed Kathrina, holding one arm around her neck and holding her arms behind her back before she or Tsunami could do anything, ''tell me why I shouldn't just kill you here'' he whispered into her ear as he held a blade to her throat.

Tsunami tried to grab hold of him, but the other Seers stopped him, blocking is path, ''Foggy! What the hell are you doing!?'' he yelled, trying to get to him, but one of the Seers grabbed his arms and stopped him from moving any closer.

''This right here... this is a Warlock'' he breathed, ''the enemy! And they have been for as long as I can remember!'' he yelled, looking around at his group.

Kathrina struggled and managed to free her arms. She grabbed his arm in attempt to remove it from around her neck, but he wouldn't let go- ''I... I can't... breathe!'' she panicked.

''Good!'' he growled, ''we don't want you breathing the same air as us!'' he growled harshly. He then pushed the blade into her neck slightly, ''I'll kill you myself!''

Kathrina struggled as blood began to drip from her neck, ''let me go!'' she growled, trying to hold back and not use her telekinesis, afraid that she might hurt them. Even though they deserved to be hurt, she didn’t want to destroy the chance she had just been given by Oswold and the General.

''Foggy! That's enough!'' someone suddenly called.

The crowd moved away, but Foggy still held onto Kathrina. The Seer growled and looked to his left, watching as someone emerged from the courtyard with a strange black dog-like creature at his right side. Both of his pupil-less eyes were a dull purple, his light brown hair falling down to his waist, but he had it tied loosely at the bottom with a red piece of string. He had a red headband over his forehead, the same red as his hakama, sandals on his feet and two curved swords on his back

As he reached the altercation, he stopped and frowned, looking down at Kathrina and Foggy, ''why are you threatening Tsunami's new... friend?'' he asked calmly.

''Do you not know who - what she is?'' he growled as he pulled the blade from her throat. Blood dripped onto the ground as he stared at it, ''this is a Warlock''

''Yes, I am fully aware that she is in fact a Warlock'' he said as he glared down at them, ''but she was given permission by the General to reside here and help us. Plus, she is Tsunami's friend. We all respect him - and his friends. Let her go Foggy... a friend of Tsunami is a friend of ours'' he said calmly.

Foggy stared up at him and then looked down at Kathrina, ''listen to me, Warlock'' he began as he placed the blade back on her throat which was still bleeding, ''I see you doing anything I think of as suspicious, I'll kill you in the blink of an eye'' he threatened. He then threw her on the ground, stood up and stared at the man, ''this is on you, Logan, just remember that'' he grumbled. Then, he threw the blood covered blade on the ground beside Kathrina and walked back into the courtyard along with a few of the other Seers.

Logan sighed and crouched down, helping Kathrina to her feet. She breathed deeply as she gripped the wound on her neck, but she wiped the blood away and grunted irritably.

Tsunami stared in awe as the wound on Kathrina’s neck healed slowly.

''What?'' she asked as she flicked the blood from her hand onto the ground.

''Uh... nothing''

Kathrina then stared at the dog, ''is that... a Black Dog?''

Smirking, Logan patted his dog’s head, ''this is Cobra; I saved him when he was just a pup a while back on one of our hunting trips. I found him clinging to his mother’s dead body and I didn't want to leave the little pup to die, so I took him in, trained him to be a tracker dog’’ he smiled as Cobra barked happily, looking up at Logan.

Kathrina stared at Cobra who seemed extremely calm for a Black Dog. But then she turned her attention to Logan, looking up at him. He was slightly taller than Tsunami, although he looked younger. His skin was the same amber tone as Joe’s and he had a rather odd accent, one she felt was familiar. But that didn’t really matter right now. She frowned up at him, ''why did you help me?'' she asked sceptically.

He sighed deeply, ''you may be a Warlock, but you’re Tsunami's friend, and I believe in his judgement. He trusts you, therefore I trust you. Don't worry about Foggy and the others, they'll come around at some point once they realize they're wrong... well, at least I hope they are'' he said as he looked at her cautiously.

Tsunami looked at him, ''they are wrong, Logan. Trust me, Kathrina is different from typical Warlocks’’

Logan nodded slightly, ''I do trust you, Tsunami. But trying to get Humans to trust something they deeply fear is near impossible, it’s like trying to tell a Werewolf not to transform on a full moon’’

‘’Speaking of Werewolf – ‘’ Tsunami interjected, ‘’she’s here to hunt it, do you know anything that could help her?’’ he asked.

Looking down at Kathrina as she glared up at him, Logan shook his head, ‘’I know no more than what you’ve probably already been told. Come, let’s get inside. Its gonna get dark soon'' he said, turning around, starting to lead the way into the courtyard.

Kathrina looked at Tsunami strangely, but then followed Logan as he led the way into the fort.

''If I were you, Kathrina, I wouldn't wonder around by yourself for now’’ Logan warned, leading the way through the fort doors, ‘’Foggy is one of those people who don’t like the idea of 'an enemy of my enemy is my friend', he doesn't trust easy. He's used to Warlocks being the enemy, not allies'' he said as they walked up the stairs and down the corridor, ''just stick with Tsunami – or me. The Seers respect me, they’ll listen to what I tell them’’

‘’Only if you’re around’’ Tsunami mumbled, ‘’they talk shit behind your back’’

Logan scoffed, ‘’they can talk shit all they want, doesn’t change the fact that what I say goes’’

‘’Are you some kind of commander too?’’ Kathrina asked curiously, looking ahead at Logan.

He shrugged, ‘’I guess I’m their supervisor. I’m supposed to keep them out of trouble. So, don’t worry. Stick with me or Tsunami and you’ll be fine’’ he smiled, ‘’you’re an ally now, and one that could possibly help us fight back against the Warlocks, so we don’t wanna lose ya’’

''Wouldn't it be easier for me to just leave?'' she muttered, ''I don't want to cause tension at a time like this, the Warlocks could attack again at any time-''

''And this time, you'll be here to help again'' Logan said, ''things will calm down, you just have to give it some time. We Seers want to fight back against the Warlocks as much as the Humans do. Once they work out that you’re possibly our key, they’ll ease up’’

Tsunami nodded in agreement as they walked towards the door to her room, ‘’don’t worry’’ he repeated, ‘’you’ll be fine in a couple days’’

They stopped outside of Kathrina's door and looked at one another. But before they could continue their conversation, Cobra began to growl quietly, frantically sniffing under the door.

''What's wrong with him?'' Kathrina asked.

As the dog panicked, Tsunami pulled Kathrina away from the door. Logan quickly pushed it open, a cautious look on his face as he reached up and grabbed the hilt of one of his sheathed swords. Cobra pounced into the room and started to search around, sniffing. He then stopped and stared up at Logan, barking frantically.

''Someone's been in here'' Logan said as he patted Cobra's head, letting go of his sword’s hilt.

Kathrina and Tsunami walked in, looking around strangely. There was no sign that someone had been in the room, but their sense of smell wasn’t as keen as the animal’s.

''I don't see anything'' Tsunami said as he looked at Logan.

Noticing a green shimmer concealed within the blankets, Kathrina walked over to the bed and stared down at it; just visible under the blanket was a small green stone, one she recognized immediately. She picked it up and stared at it closely, a mirage of different emotions starting to consume her.

''What is that?'' Tsunami asked as he and Logan stood beside her, looking down at her.

''It’s an emerald'' she frowned.

''Yours?''

''No''

''Then how did it get here?'' Logan asked.

''Your guess is as good as mine'' she grumbled as she looked at them both. She then put the stone in her pocket and sat down on the end of the bed, ''if you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest now'' she said, trying to hide the fact that the stone was pulling her into sadness, the memories linked to it starting to flash through her mind.

Logan nodded, ‘’alright, just remember what Tsunami and I said. Don’t wander around alone either’’ he instructed. Then as he left the room, Cobra followed him quickly.

As Logan left, Tsunami looked down at her, ''will you be okay?''

She nodded slowly as she stared at the wall in front of her, ‘’yeah, I’m just tired after everything’’

''Well, if you need anything, I'm just across the hall'' he said as he stared at her in worry. She didn’t reply. He sighed and slowly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Kathrina reached into her pocket and pulled out the emerald, staring down at it as it sat in her hand, shimmering brightly. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, the small stone bringing back memories of her time in the Warlock Kingdom. But a horrible sense of heartbreak began to consume her, so she tucked the stone back into her pocket and stood up. She pulled her robes off and threw them to the floor, sighing in relief as she fell back and rested on the bed.

She was completely exhausted from the day’s events and just wanted to rest, and that’s what she was going to do. As it darkened outside, she closed her eyes, slowly falling into a long-awaited, deep sleep...


	6. Red-Eyed Demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow the Tumblr to support the series! https://warlock-manga-official.tumblr.com/

The calm silence of the night was suddenly interrupted by a loud, piercing howl which shook the entire city. Candle light began glowing from within every building as the people within were woken, panic spreading through the city like wildfire. Within her room, Kathrina abruptly opened her eyes and sat up, her heart racing, the howl having shook even her. As the sound of clanking metal and panicked voices started echoing from outside, she climbed to her feet and rushed over to the window, pulling open the curtain to stare out at the courtyard below.

She watched as Seers started flowing out into the courtyard with swords in-hand, looking to Foggy who stood in front of them. As he stared yelling what Kathrina presumed to be orders at the other Seers, she turned around, the sound of rushing footsteps coming from outside her door. Moments later, Tsunami burst in, a worried look on his tired face.

He immediately set his eyes on her, ‘’you heard it?’’ he asked quickly.

Kathrina rolled her eyes as she looked back out of the window, ‘’I’m pretty sure the entire city heard it’’ she mumbled, ‘’anyway, time to get to work'' she said as she grabbed robes from the floor and pulled them on. She swiftly made sure that her sword was attached to her side and then looked to Tsunami, ‘’you’re gonna help?’’ she asked unsurely, hoping that he’d say yes.

He nodded, ‘’just tell me what I gotta do’’

‘’Let’s go’’ she said, rushing out of the room.

Tsunami followed, the pair hurrying along the corridor, down the stairs and out the doors into the courtyard. Kathrina shivered in the cold night air, holding her arms around herself as she and Tsunami stopped by the fountain. They looked over at Foggy who had been joined by Logan, the two of them instructing the other Seers.

''What's wrong?'' Tsunami then asked, looking down at her.

''I need to locate the wolf, I need to find it as quickly as I can’’ she said, ‘’you should send the Seers in different directions, get them to make sure that there are no civilians outside’’ she instructed quickly.

Just then, a petrified scream broke the silence, ‘’go, I’ll catch up!’’ Tsunami said, rushing over to the Seers.

Kathrina burst into action; she raced over to the walls of the fort and effortlessly climbed up. She then leaped over to a rooftop and began speeding towards the direction the scream had come from. She leaped from roof to roof with ease, searching the ground below for the beast. She ran faster and faster as a piercing howl filled the air. She focused on the ground below, oblivious to what was ahead-

Crash!!! - ''Watch where you're going!'' a voice yelled as Kathrina collided with something.

She stumbled back and stared in front of her - glaring back at her was an extremely pale girl, her eyes shining a bright red. Her hair was short and trimmed, two different shades of blue. The girl was dressed in red and gold colored armour that shimmered brightly in the moonlight.

Glaring up at her, Kathrina growled irritably, ‘’what the heck are you doing up here?!’’ she growled, ‘’get inside!’’

The girl frowned, ‘’are you lost?’’ she asked sympathetically, ‘’do you need me to help you find your parents?’’

‘’Nightly!’’ Tsunami suddenly yelled, catching up to Kathrina who was about to yell at the girl.

‘’Oh hey Tsu’’ the girl waved, grinning to reveal two sharp fangs within her mouth.

Kathrina then realized, ''you... you're a- ''

''Yup, a vampire'' Nightly giggled, ''but don't worry, I won’t eat you'' she laughed as she took hold of Kathrina’s hand, ''I'm a vegetarian''

She stared at her strangely as she laughed, ''you... I don't understand''

‘’No time to explain’’ Tsunami interjected as he pulled Nightly’s hand from Kathrina’s, ‘’I sent the Seers off like you said’’ he explained as Kathrina nodded. But then, he looked to Nightly, ‘’what are you doing up here?’’

Nightly smiled, ‘’why, I'm here to help catch the werewolf, of course. I was tracking him until this here little girl crashed into me'' she said playfully as she lifted Kathrina's hand towards Tsunami.

Kathrina angered a little as she snatched her hand out of Nightly's, ''I'm not a little girl! And You were in my way!''

Nightly smiled and giggled, ''sorry''

''This is K-''

Kathrina grunted at him, glaring into his eyes. He silenced.

''Just standing there chatting isn't going to get us anywhere!'' Logan suddenly called, joining them on the rooftop with Cobra at his side, ‘’let’s go’’

She looked around at what appeared to be her team. She wasn’t going to refuse, the more people she had to help her, the better. Leading the way, she leaped off the rooftop and onto another, continuing to speed forward. they raced over several rooftops until they came close to the town square. Along the way, they passed several Seers that were keeping the civilians in their homes just as she had asked Tsunami to tell them to do. So long as the civilians stayed inside, this wouldn’t be too hard.

Reaching the rooftop of the General’s building, Kathrina stopped, her team stopping behind her.

''So?'' Tsunami asked, panting as he stood beside her.

Nightly giggled again as she bit her lip, ''where to now?''

Kathrina looked around quickly but couldn't see anything on the ground below. She didn't want to admit it, but she had lost the trail. The beast hadn’t made another sound, so it was hard for her to determine where it could be now. But she couldn’t give up. She began to focus as she placed her hand onto the roof’s tiles, closing her eyes.

''What's she doing?'' Logan asked as they all watched her.

''I don't know'' Tsunami frowned.

She breathed slowly as her hand glowed dimly, ''there's something fast headed this way'' she said quickly as she stood up and jumped off of the rooftop and to the ground below, ''this way''

They all jumped down and landed back to back in the narrow street below. They waited, but it didn't seem like anything was coming. Cobra, however, started to growl lowly, sticking close to his owner.

''Are you sure it was headed here?'' Logan asked as he looked over his shoulder at Kathrina.

''Look, right there!'' Nightly called.

They all turned and looked in her direction. At the end of the street, a visible pair of yellow glowing eyes was headed their way. They waited as it got closer and closer, its huge paws thumping down into the muddy ground below as it sprinted towards them on all fours. Kathrina stared at it as it rushed towards them, trying to get a good look at the beast.

''We have to move!'' Tsunami yelled, but she wouldn't budge.

She continued to focus on the approaching target as the others quickly climbed back to the roof top. She then pulled her sword from its sheath and held it to her side, ''come on'' she mumbled challengingly as she glared at the incoming beast.

As it got even closer, Kathrina could see it more clearly, but it didn’t looked like the wold Shanloe had described to her. It was headed right for her, but it didn't seem as though it wanted to kill her. It slowed as it got closer, its hostile growls fading into calm breaths. But suddenly, as it became only inches from her, Nightly swept down and grabbed a hold of her, pulling her back up to the roof top. She looked back down at the street as the wolf glared up at her, but then it scurried away back into the shadows.

''What were you thinking!?'' Tsunami growled as he stared at her, ''it could have killed you!''

''No,'' she sighed as she sheathed her sword, ''it didn't seem that way. I can usually sense the bloodlust in a target but... this was different...''

''What do you mean?'' Logan asked.

She frowned as she turned to face them and looked down at her feet, ''I'm not even sure myself - but did you notice anything about the wolf?'' she asked as she looked at them.

''Apart from the fact that it was running at us full speed, teeth barred? No'' Logan said.

''Tsunami, do you remember what Shanloe said? He said that the wolf he saw had yellow eyes and brown fur...''

''Yeah?''

''That wolf,'' she said strangely, ''it had yellow eyes, yes... but its fur was grey''

They all looked at each other strangely.

''So… there's two werewolves?'' Nightly asked.

''Unless it was too dark for Shanloe to properly make its colour out, then yes, it seems like there are two. Come on, we need to follow it'' she said quickly as she began to race across the rooftops again.

 

The city was starting to panic as more howls and terrified screams filled the air. Some of the villagers that weren’t within their homes were running around trying to find their families and the guards and Seers were yelling for everyone to return to their homes. Everyone was in complete disarray and the tension was building. Growls and howls echoed through the bitter air, horrified yells soon following.

But suddenly, in the city centre, a Werewolf crashed to the ground in front of a small child. The villagers fled, screaming, abandoning the helpless child without a second thought. It glared down at her as she whimpered, trying to crawl away, but the wolf snarled and snapped at her. It leaned in closer, holding its claws in front of it as if it was going to grab her.

''Get away!'' a woman then yelled as she jumped in front of the child and clung onto her.

The wolf pulled back its claws, but continued to snarl as it glared at them both. It began to widen its jaws, ready to snap – but then, the wolf turned and looked over its shoulder. It growled aggressively but dropped to all fours, quickly scurrying away, leaving them both unharmed. Moments later, Kathrina and the others jumped down from rooftop and landed in front of them. Tsunami kneeled down and looked at them closely as Kathrina stared in the direction the wolf ran.

''Are you both okay?'' he asked.

''I... Thank you'' the woman said quietly as she clung to the child.

''Take her and go to your home. Lock the doors and don't leave until you are told. Can you do that?'' Logan then instructed.

''Y... Yes'' she replied.

As the woman took the child and left, Tsunami turned to Kathrina.

''Were they okay?'' she asked.

''Yeah''

''Its rather strange, isn't it?'' she then asked.

''Huh?'' Nightly frowned.

Kathrina looked back at them all, ''no one has been killed; I know werewolves…'' she started as she turned and stared into the well that sat in the clearing behind them, ''they are merciless, bloodthirsty animals. They kill, kill, kill... so why has no one been killed?''

Tsunami thought to himself.

''No one’s been killed,'' Logan called, ''but some two people were injured last month''

She leant against the well and glared over at him, ''I thought you said no one was injured?’’ she said, looking at Tsunami.

‘’No one else knew’’ Logan said before Tsunami could answer, ‘’we had to keep it quiet, otherwise the people would have become more afraid than they already are’’

‘’What did you do with them? The ones who reported that they had been injured?'' she asked.

Logan frowned, ‘’well, they were bitten by a Werewolf, which means they would become a Werewolf on the next full moon. So, we did what we had too''

She looked at him suspiciously, ''like what?''

Logan looked bothered, ''we had to kill them'' he grumbled, ‘’one of them… was my friend’’

''You do know that there is a cure for a werewolf bite?'' she frowned, looking over at Logan.

All three of them sharply turned and looked at her, wide-eyed ''WHAT?!'' they all exclaimed.

''I'm amazed you Seers don't know of it’’ she said, ‘’it’s -''

Suddenly, another howl echoed through the air, interrupting them.

''Dammit, I got distracted'' she said as she quickly stood up and headed back for the rooftops. The group followed as she climbed up and began leading the way forward again.

''Anyway... that wolf... was different too'' she panted as they leaped across the roof.

''Different how?'' Logan called.

''It was brown, but its eyes were blue... I'm starting to think we're dealing with a pack... which means – ‘’ suddenly, before she or anyone could react, something crashed into her, pushing her to the ground below.

''Kathrina!'' Tsunami yelled as he, Nightly and Logan came to an abrupt stop, searching the ground below for her. Cobra barked aggressively, staring down at the ground below.

 

Kathrina hit the ground with a thud!

''C... crap'' she mumbled to herself, trying to sit up.

She could feel a sharp pain in her right leg and arm as she gradually managed to sit up. The dust from the ground floated off her face as she looked around warily. From the darkness of an alley beside her, a huge brown Werewolf was snarling at her, glaring evilly with its yellow eyes, blood dripping from its jaws. She stared back, slightly anxious as she felt her leg with her hands. It was clearly broken.

The others watched from the rooftops, trying to decide what to do.

''We have to do something!'' Tsunami insisted.

''No! If we jump down there the wolf could kill her before we even touch the ground!'' Logan said as he pushed Tsunami back, keeping him from being the reckless idiot he was.

The wolf began to back away from Kathrina, but then lifted up its head and howled loudly. Moments later, another, more vicious howl followed.

''Now!'' Tsunami insisted as he jumped off the roof before Logan could stop him again.

Tsunami landed on Kathrina's left and instantly tried to help her as she remained sat on the ground.

Logan hesitated but landed behind Tsunami with Cobra as Nightly landed on her right. The wolf stood its ground, glaring at them all as they protected Kathrina.

''What should we do?'' Nightly asked.

''My... my leg is broken'' she grunted painfully, ''but... that must be the wolf that Shanloe saw'' she said as she glared at the Werewolf which was keeping its distance but not taking its eyes off them.

''Why did it attack you?'' Tsunami asked.

''Why does any Werewolf attack someone?'' she growled irritably.

But suddenly, the silence was filled with several low growls. The grey Werewolf they had seen earlier emerged from behind them, another brown one crawled out from the left and a darker grey one moved in next to the brown one in front of them. As each second passed, more Werewolves emerged from the darkness, growling and staring at them.

''There's... so many of them'' Logan whispered in panic as Cobra growled warningly. He looked down at Kathrina who was breathing uneasily, slowly turning his attention to her arm. He suddenly grabbed hold of her and pulled down the right side of her robe to reveal a bleeding wound, ''you're...'' he paused as he looked closely at the wound, ''you've been bitten'' he said cautiously as he backed away from her.

They all looked at her as she looked at a bite on her shoulder.

''Kathrina...'' Tsunami frowned.

''Don't worry about it'' she said as she put her hand over the wound.

''Don't worry about it!? We all know what happens when you're bitten by a were-''

''Warlocks are not affected by Lycanthropy or Vampirism’’ she snapped, silencing Nightly, ‘’the magic in their venom can’t bind with our own'' she said slowly as she grunted painfully, looking around at the surrounding wolves. ''We cannot become werewolves or vampires... but this wound will not heal as fast as any other would'' she grunted as blood began to ooze through her fingers.

Logan glared at her, ''that's... how?'' he questioned.

''A Warlock's magic is immense, so we have great resistance against other magic's'' she explained.

But then, the wolves began to growl louder, ending their conversation. It was clear that they were all worried, even Kathrina. She grabbed hold of Tsunami's arm as she pulled herself to her feet, struggling to stand with her injured leg. But just as she stood up, the wolves silenced.

From behind the four wolves standing in front of them, a huge, black colored Werewolf slowly approached them. It was a lot bigger than the rest and its eyes glowed bright red as it glared specifically at Kathrina.

''It... it's a pack'' she warned.

The Werewolf stopped moving towards her as it stood on its hind legs, glaring and breathing calmly. But it didn’t attack, and neither did any of the others.

Kathrina then pulled away from Tsunami -

''What are you doing!?'' he exclaimed, reaching to grab her back, but she moved away from him.

''I... want to know why... Why they aren't killing people'' she breathed as she began to move towards the black wolf, gripping her bleeding shoulder, her leg having already healed.

It stared at her in confusion but waited as she got closer. It took a few steps back as the other wolves growled warningly, but she continued to move towards it. Tsunami then tried to follow, but one of the wolves jumped towards him, snapping at him and growling. Tsunami stepped back, sticking close to Nightly and Logan as Cobra barked defensively.

Everyone watched as Kathrina stopped a few inches away from the wolf. She looked up at it as it stared down at her, growling lowly.

''W... Why have you come here?'' she asked as she breathed uneasily, trying to cope with the pain coming from her injury.

It silenced and looked down at her strangely.

''Answer me!'' she demanded, but it continued to stare at her.

''What's she doing!?'' Logan whispered.

''I... don't know... she's going to get herself killed'' Nightly replied.

Tsunami stood there in utter panic, conflicted as to whether he should try and slay all the beasts to get to Kathrina or wait and see what it was that she was doing.

Kathrina began to feel weak; she could feel blood trickling down her arm from the wound on her shoulder, she could feel the Werewolf’s venom starting to weaken her own magic. She didn’t have long, but she was going to do all she could to find out the answers she wanted. She glared up at the beast, ''you haven't killed anybody... I want to know why'' she frowned.

It growled lowly, baring its teeth -

''Answer me!'' she yelled as she struggled to stand, falling to her knees.

The wolf moved back and dropped to all fours, staring down at her as she glared at it.

Tsunami and the others stared over at her helplessly as the other Werewolves began to surround them. They needed to do something or Kathrina was going to die – they had no idea what these Werewolves wanted, but they weren’t going to wait like there were forever. All of them prepared to attack, but then -

''You sure are... an angry one'' came a quiet, deep, brittle voice.

Everyone, including the wolves, turned and stared at Kathrina.

''Hmph'' Kathrina scoffed as she looked up at the wolf, ''answer my question''

The wolf growled quietly, ''who are you... to give me orders? You belong to me now... hgrrr''

''I'm... going to k... kill you... if you don't... answer my question'' she struggled.

''Ha! You? Kill me? In your state?'' the wolf smirked, ‘’don’t make me laugh, hgrr’’

Kathrina glared at him, ''don't... underestimate me''

''You're… that Warlock'' it growled.

''Huh?'' she frowned.

The wolf snarled and stared closely at her, ''I know who you are, I also saw what you did to those other Warlocks that attacked the city'' he began, ‘’this… isn’t the first time we have met, hgrr’’

Kathrina felt strange; this Werewolf knew who she was and had also seen what she could do, but what did he mean when he said that this wasn’t the first time they had met? She frowned and grunted painfully as she gripped her bleeding wound, ''so... if you know who I am... that means... you must live in the city''

The wolf grinned, ''you got me'' it snarled as it began to prowl towards her, ''see, I know that you came here to kill 'the Werewolf’, but you had no idea how many of us there were. But we know how many of you there are. You and your friends there are no match for us... for me'' he growled, ''the real question here is, who has been hunting who?''

She stared down at the ground, trying to come up with an answer, but she couldn't think straight. The pain in her arm was becoming something unbearable. The Werewolf began to slowly prowl around her, trying to intimidate her.

''I-''

''Tell me: what happens to a Warlock when it is bitten by a Werewolf?'' the wolf asked.

She stared into his glowing red eyes, ''n... nothing...''

''Is that right? I beg to differ...''

She turned and looked back at Tsunami, Nightly and Logan. They looked at her strangely, still having not moved to try and help her.

''Did... you lie to us?'' Logan called.

''No!'' she growled irritably, but suddenly fell on her back, gripping onto the wound in agony.

''You are in no position to threaten me, little Warlock'' the wolf grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

''Kathrina!'' Tsunami yelled as Nightly held him back.

She lay there, too weak to even reply. Something felt familiar about this Werewolf, but she couldn’t work out exactly what. She felt too dazed, to confused to try and work it out. But now, she felt as though this wolf did want to kill her, and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

''So,'' she said quietly as the wolf moved closer to her, ''if you've been watching me so closely...''

The Werewolf moved right into her face, ''what?'' it growled, grinning.

She coughed at the stench of its disgusting breath, ‘’then… you should know... how quickly I heal!'' she yelled as she grabbed the werewolf's head with her left arm, stood up and smashed him onto the ground. The other wolves rushed over but she created a telekinetic blast and sent them flying. They all backed down as she pulled out her sword and pointed it down at the black wolf's throat before he could recover, ''now…'' she breathed unsteadily, ''answer my question''

Tsunami and the others quickly rushed over to join her as she glared down at the wolf.

He growled angrily at her, but stayed down, defeated, ''as you have already worked out... I live here and so does every member of my pack''

''Your pack?'' Logan asked.

''He's the alpha'' Kathrina explained, ''so tell me: what is it you're doing here then?''

He glared at her but stayed silent. The rest of the Werewolves began to slowly move in towards her. Logan, Nightly and Tsunami began to look around at them, unsure of what to do as Cobra continued to bark frantically.

''Kathrina, we should-''

She silenced Tsunami as she stared down at the alpha. He looked calm, but she could see fear in his shimmering red eyes. She slowly backed away from him and put her sword back in its holster, gripping her shoulder once again. He watched her, confused as he slowly climbed to his feet. The others looked at her strangely but didn't say anything as she clearly had something planned.

He slouched down in front of her and breathed deeply, relieved, ''w... why?''

''You are different'' she said slowly, ''for one, you nor your pack have tried to kill any of us, or any of the villagers. But what strikes me the most... is that you speak to me. Werewolves are blood-thirsty, mindless beasts. But you don’t really act like that. Tell me what you are doing here and I may not have to kill you'' she said slowly.

''What?!'' Logan exclaimed.

''You... would not kill me...?''

''It all depends on what your answer is''

He growled quietly as he thought to himself, ''we... live here,'' he began, ''this is our home... just as much as it is anyone else's who lives here''

They all stared at him, both curious and confused.

''So?'' she asked.

He growled again, ''we want to protect our home''

''W... What?'' Logan stuttered, ‘’you’re not actually listening to this shit are you?’’

Kathrina smirked, ''you expect me to believe you?''

''You would call me a liar?''

''Why should we believe you?'' Tsunami asked.

He growled again, this time his anger was greater, ''if you really must know, I'll tell you why''

As he spoke, a few of the surrounding werewolves stopped moving and stared at him strangely, like they were unsettled by what he was about to say.

''Warlocks'' the Werewolf said.

''What about them?'' Logan growled.

''The last Warlock attack... I... my entire family was taken from me!'' he growled, ''I was sick of watching them come here and take who and whatever they wanted. The day they took my only son... I dedicated on his memory that I would no longer let them take anyone from this city!''

They all looked at him strangely, but Kathrina was beginning to understand, ''so?''

‘’I told you this was not the first time we met’’ he growled, ‘’the other night, you saved me and my group of hunters from Black Dogs – but moments later, the previous alpha of this pack attacked us. I was the only survivor. I transformed that very same night and hunted down the alpha. I killed him and took over this pack, and with it, I plan to fight back against Warlocks’’

''You plan to go and kill the Warlocks who took your son?'' Logan asked.

''No''

''Huh?'' Nightly gasped.

''My son... he is dead'' he said quietly, ''so now... all I have left is this city and my pack. They are my family now. We have dedicated ourselves to protecting this city. The people have mistaken us; we have not killed a single person and we never will!'' he insisted, ''the only ones we will kill are Warlocks. That is why we have been watching you so closely, we had to be sure you were not here to destroy this city''

''So then why did one of your pack attack me?'' she asked sceptically.

He looked over at the wolf that had attacked her and scowled, ''I have been trying to judge you'' he growled, ''I was sure you would kill him, or even me. But you did not... you will not''

''Trying to judge me?'' she laughed slightly, ''you want to know if you can trust me?'' she asked slowly.

''Yes... even though there is a bounty on our heads, you had no intention of killings us straight away'' he realized, ''first, you wanted to understand why we were here and even spare us''

''Is this true?'' Tsunami asked.

''It is true’’ she confirmed, looking back at him. Then, she looked back at the wolf, ‘’you are quick to summarize, aren't you? But so am I... I knew from the beginning that there was another reason behind your being here other that just having a plentiful hunting ground''

Everyone began to ease up as the two stared at each other, smirking. It felt as though there was still a little hostility in the air, but the atmosphere felt calmer.

''Never have I ever met one like you'' Kathrina smirked.

''Likewise'' the wolf snarled.

''So, where do we go from here?''

He looked at her, unsure, ''I do not plan to leave my home. I am dedicated to protecting it''

She thought to herself for a few moments, trying to decide what to do.

''We... We can't let them stay here'' Tsunami whispered, ''Kathrina, they're Werewolves! Mindless killing mon-''

''Shut it'' she snapped, ''surely you can see by now that it’s not their intention to kill anyone here, or anyone at all – just Warlocks’’

Tsunami frowned, ''so, what? You're planning to let them go? After one of them broke your leg and even tried to make you like them?!'' he exclaimed.

‘’They have no reason to be banished or killed. They have every right to stay here’’ she said simply, ‘’like he said, he was just testing me, as I was testing him’’

''Are you serious!?'' Logan growled, ''look at yourself! Are you telling me they weren't trying to kill you!?''

''Yes. I may not have much say over what happens here, after all I am only here to kill them. But you, Tsunami... You can talk to-''

''Why should I?''

She turned and looked at him with pure anger in her eyes, ''have you not listened to anything he or I have said here!?''

''It doesn't matter what he says! He's a damn Werewolf!''

''Clearly, there's no reasoning here'' she mumbled, but then she smirked again, ''well, that's true. They are Werewolves. So, we have no idea who they really are''

The wolf began to laugh, ''you are correct''

Tsunami angered, ''we will kill them where they stand!'' he yelled.

Kathrina turned around and stopped him from wielding his sword, ''can you not see Tsunami?''

He looked at her; she had seemed to calm down, making him want to do the same. But these were Werewolves… they could be lying. He trusted Kathrina, though… ''what?'' he frowned.

''He lost his family to the Warlocks. Now all he has is this city and the people in it. All he wants to do is protect it'' she stated.

Tsunami looked over at the alpha who stood there, staring.

''Maybe he didn't even want to be a Werewolf, ever think of that? He did that to himself so he could be stronger - so he could protect this city. It must have taken him countless nights to be able to control his wolf side. The amount of struggle and pain he must have gone through... so, he could protect his home''

He then began to realize. He, too, had tried to become stronger so he could protect his new home after his Realm was taken by Gahi. She was right. He looked down at the ground, ''I... understand''

''Do you?'' she frowned as she nudged him slightly.

''Yes, I do. But Kathrina, they can't stay here''

She stepped back, ''yes, they can. Isn't everything up to that creepy Opus guy? He's a mage, I'm pretty sure he can understand just as I do''

He looked at her reluctantly, ''you can try'' he sighed, ''but Werewolves living in the city? The people will be petrified, most too scared to even leave their homes. You and plenty of others saw what happened in the centre with that child... and what happened with you''

''Child?'' the alpha asked.

''One of your wolves seemed to want to eat a child'' Logan growled.

He looked over at the accused wolf, ''even though none have full control of their wolf selves, they can still recognize their families''

''Family?'' Nightly asked, ''you mean... that child was the Werewolf’s family?''

''Yes. But I am helping them to be like me, to be fully in control. It will take time but... I can do it. It is why I am alpha''

Tsunami looked at him uneasily. He still wasn't fully convinced, ''what happens if one of them kills someone?''

''That will not happen, the first thing I do is make them see that Humans and Seers are not the enemy. Our sense of smell is so sensitive, we can tell Humans, Seers and Warlocks apart. That is why they are so tense right now, they can tell that she is a Warlock'' he said as he looked at Kathrina, ''but they will only attack if I tell them to''

''What if one gets confused and kills someone?'' Nightly asked.

''I insist, it will not happen!'' he growled, sounding slightly impatient.

''What... what if... ugh...'' Tsunami stopped and looked over at Kathrina, ''you can try talking to Opus, but I don't think this is going to settle as well as letting you stay here did''

''What? You're agreeing to this as well!?'' Logan growled.

Nightly giggled quietly, ''guard dogs'' she snickered.

The wolves growled at her.

''Things just go from unusual to damn right fucked up around here!'' Logan exclaimed.

''What's wrong with you anyway?'' Tsunami snapped, ''you're usually the understanding guy who's always welcoming new ideas''

Logan deadpanned and glared at him, ''seriously, Tsunami? We're talking about letting a bunch of Werewolves run around freely in our city with unknown intentions!''

''We know full well what their intentions are'' Kathrina said, ''he wants to protect his home. And I'm pretty sure all of the pack do as well. After all, they kept the fact that they were bitten a secret, most likely because this alpha had come to them before the full moon and told them his intention''

''We just want to protect our home'' he repeated.

Logan looked at Kathrina uneasily, ''you can take this up with Opus in the morning, I'm not sticking around to listen to anymore of his bullshit'' he stated as he turned around, ''talking Werewolves'' he mumbled as he climbed back up onto the roof and disappeared, Cobra following.

''You... will not kill us?'' the wolf asked again.

''No. But what you will do is leave the city for the rest of the night'' she said, ''take your pack''

''I... thank you, Warlock'' he growled as his pack began to group up behind him, ''I only hope that others can be as understanding as you. I am sorry for your injur-''

''Just... go'' she grumbled.

Then, he dropped to all fours and ran off towards the exit, his pack swiftly following.

Tsunami then looked at her, angered, ''what are you thinking!? Do you really think it’s a good idea to even consider having Werewolves stay in this city!?''

''Yes, I do. Werewolves as allies? You've struck gold, Tsunami'' she said, ''you heard what he said. He has not only been training himself, but an entire pack of Werewolves to protect this city and its people. And what's better? He's been training to kill Warlocks. Can you really not see the advantages in that?''

''I can, but will anyone else?'' he said as he looked at her uneasily.

''I just hope Opus does''

''Why does it seem to mean so much to you?'' Nightly suddenly asked.

Kathrina thought to herself, ''because I believe that everyone deserves a chance,'' she said, ''a chance to explain themselves. I don't think it's right to just kill anything that frightens you, you should at least hear what they have to say before blood is spilt''

''They spilt blood... yours'' Tsunami frowned.

Kathrina looked at Tsunami strangely, but she suddenly felt too weak to speak. She frowned and sighed deeply, starting to lose her balance again.

''Kathrina?'' Tsunami asked.

''I...'' she suddenly collapsed in front of him - he quickly grabbed hold of her, crouching with her in his arms, ''they were... just being... being cautious''

''What's wrong with her?'' Nightly asked.

Tsunami stared down at her. He could feel her shaking as she let go of her shoulder. The blood began to trickle down her arm and onto the ground as she closed her eyes, breathing slowly.

''Kathrina? Kath-''

''I'm fine'' she mumbled, ''I... just need to rest... so I can heal''

''I can go and get an Earth mage to heal you!''

''No, Nightly... healing magic doesn't work on me either... I just have to wait until I heal myself'''

''Do any kinds of magic work on you?'' Tsunami asked curiously.

''Very few...'' she breathed.

''We should go back to the fort then'' he said as he stood up, carrying Kathrina who had seemed to have passed out.

''Is she asleep?'' Nightly asked as they began to head back towards the fort.

''It would seem so''

''So...'' she began, sounding more serious, ''do you think that she was telling the truth? About the Werewolf bite?''

He sighed, ''I don't know. I've never heard of anyone being bitten by a Werewolf and not becoming one themselves''

''Then she lied? Because she knew that we would have her killed?''

''No, I... I wouldn't allow her to be killed... I don't think that she would think that''

''What happens then if it turns out that she does become a Werewolf?''

''I don't know. I guess tomorrow we're going to try to talk Opus into letting those werewolves stay here... if she does end up like them...''

''Well, she could have been telling the truth. I mean, I do kind of believe some of what she said''

''Some?''

''Well, the wolf asked what would happen to a Warlock when it’s bitten. She said nothing, but clearly something has happened to her. She may not become a Werewolf, but it looks as if she's dying''

Tsunami tensed up and looked down at her as they walked, worried, ''dying?''

''She's lost a lot of blood; she also said that wound wouldn't heal like any other wound... If we don't do something about that, she could bleed out''

He stared over at Nightly, confused, ''what... what do we do?''

She stared down at his sword’s sheath. A small, circular silver talisman was hanging from it. From one end to the other of the circle was a pentagram, carved into the silver with several other strange markings around and inside it. She then looked up at him with an expectant look on her face.

''You mean...? No!'' he growled, ''no''

She shook her head slowly, ''if she dies-''

''She won't! She said herself that it will heal on its own''

''Why don't I try to heal her?'' she suggested.

He looked at her unsurely, ''do you know how?''

''Uh huh, he told me'' she smiled.

Tsunami grunted, discouraged, ''alright'' he said slowly as they stopped walking.

Nightly then held out her hand and opened her mouth slowly. He watched as her fangs began to grow longer, and as they did, she bit her hand. Blood began to trickle down her wrist slowly. Tsunami revealed the wound on Kathrina's shoulder as Nightly began to move her bleeding hand towards it, but then-

''Get that filthy stuff away from me'' Kathrina mumbled as she snatched Nightly's arm, pushing her away. She then began to struggle in Tsunami's arms; she pulled away from him, climbing out of his arms and standing on her own, ''I told you... I'll heal on my own'' she said, holding onto her shoulder again.

''K... Kathrina?'' Tsunami asked.

''What?'' she muttered irritably.

''You're... going to be okay?''

She looked at Tsunami; he was shaking, almost as if he had seen a ghost. He stared at her, longing for an answer. But she turned away from him, the pain in her shoulder increasing. Nightly shook her hand, disposing of her blood on the dusty ground. She then closed her eyes and smiled brightly towards Kathrina.

''I'll be fine''

''But-''

''I'll be fine'' she repeated, clearly angered, ''let's go''

They continued to walk towards the fort in an awkward silence. Tsunami was trying to think of something to say, but he couldn't. Nightly followed behind them, skipping slowly and quietly humming to herself. Kathrina didn't understand this Vampire; she seemed strange. From her experiences, Vampires were cold, cruel murderers. But she thought different about her, almost as if she was curious. But Kathrina didn't like to show it to those she was curious about.

Nightly then stopped behind them, ''I'll see you tomorrow'' she giggled as she continued to skip down a narrow path away from them and towards a small hut.

Kathrina watched her enter the hut and close the door behind her. She then looked over at Tsunami, ''what's her story?''

''Nightly?''

''Mhmm''

''Well, as you've probably already-''

''Yeah, she's a Vampire. I know. There's no way anyone could miss those huge red eyes'' she grunted, ''I meant why is she here?''

''Long story short,'' he sighed, ''she was a close friend of mine''

''Was?''

''Her, myself and another were fighting in a now deserted village. We defeated the Warlock attackers but Nightly was badly injured. She was going to die... the only way we could have saved her was to... well, it’s clear how we saved her. She didn't exactly take it well, being told that she was like him now-''

''Him?''

''Right now, it doesn't matter. It’s a story for another time'' he said as they reached the courtyard of the Seer fort, ''all that matters is that she's here, not exactly alive but... here'' he said sadly, ‘’well I'm gonna have to go and fill the General in with what happened, and the baron too'' he said, sounding irritated, ''I'll see you later. And if Opus is there, I'll tell him you need to see him tomorrow''

''Right... yeah...'' she said slowly as she continued to walk towards the fort's entrance, waving her blood-soaked hand to dismiss him.

 

As she walked into the fort, many of the Seers inside glared at her. They eyed her closely, noticing the blood on her neck. As the silence began to fill with the mumbles of the judging Seers, Kathrina continued to walk up the stairs. It was clear to her that there was no point in trying to explain what had happened, the moment she mentioned the bite they would all attempt to kill her. There was no need to give them yet another reason to be afraid of her. So she continued up the stairs and across the hall.

She pushed her door open and collapsed on the bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling. The door creaked shut behind her as a breeze floated in through her window. She pulled off her bloody robes and slowly crawled into the bed covers, resting her head on the pillows. The pain in her shoulder had eased a little, but the wound had still not yet healed. As she lay there in silence, her eyes began to feel heavy. Exhausted, she gradually closed her eyes, the recent escapade having completely exhausted her once again.


	7. I remember

Kathrina slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was surrounded by a group of skull-wearing Warlocks, their faces hidden by their masks. She felt a sense of panic overtake her as she lay on her back, unable to move, unable to speak. The Warlocks stared down at her, their eyes glowing gold in the pitch blackness around them. She had no idea how she had got there – she didn’t even know where ‘there’ was.  
But as she started to breathe frantically in panic, the crowd of Warlocks started to disperse. She watched in confusion and panic, but as the a tall, stag-skull-wearing figure emerged from the darkness, her fear and panic started to fade. A sense of familiarity then fell over her as she watched the figure move closer.   
She stared up at him as he held his right hand down towards her, ‘’Kathrina’’ he said softly, crouching down beside her.  
Kathrina wanted to take his hand, but she still couldn’t move. All she could do was lay there. He took her hand in his and stared down at her, but she couldn’t see his eyes nor his face, everything but his jaw-length ashen-white hair hidden by the stag skull mask on his face. Like the Warlocks around them, he was wearing typical Warlock robes, but his were black with a shimmering silver rim around the tall, pointed collar. At his left side, he had a curved sword sheathed in its scabbard, a shorted curved sword sheathed beneath it, and as she stared into the blackness where his eyes should be, sadness started to swallow her.  
This man… she knew him, and she wanted to say his name, she wanted to respond, but no words would come out of her mouth.  
However, just moments later, a cold breeze raced past them. In the blink of an eye, he and the Warlocks faded like smoke in the wind, vanishing as if they were never there. Kathrina wanted to yell, to scream for him to come back, but once again, no sound came from her. She was left alone in the endless darkness… or so she thought.  
Suddenly, she felt a sudden motivation to move, like her body was telling her that she was no longer restricted to the ground. To her surprise and relief, she wasn’t. She moved her arms, and seeing that she was now able to move, she abruptly sat up, searching the darkness around her. There was no sign of anyone of anything else and there was an ominous silence lingering in the cold air.  
She still had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there, but she was determined to find out. Quickly, she climbed to her feet and reached for her sword, ‘’Ts… Tsunami?!’’ she called, his name having been the first that came into her head. But he was nowhere to be seen. She frowned warily and looked around, ‘’hello?!’’ she called with slight anger, hoping that someone or something would respond.  
Everything soon began to feel like an eerie dream – could that be what this was? Was she dreaming? Was she stuck in some kind of nightmare? She wanted to believe that, but it all felt so real. The cold air scraped against her skin, the darkness was causing a very real sense of fear to consume her, and the atmosphere… it felt so… familiar.  
With her anger and worry rising, she frantically searched the darkness until her eyes met a slight green flicker of light. She stopped and stared ahead at it, the small light shimmering on the ground a few feet ahead of her. From where she was standing, she was able to make out that the light was in fact a small emerald stone, and as she noticed what it was, another started to shimmer a few feet ahead of the first one. She frowned in confusion, watching as one after the other, more and more emeralds started to shimmer, seeming to light up a path.  
She glared ahead with a cautious look, but started to follow the path, curious to see where it was leading. However, just moments after she started following the path, the silence was cut by a low, maniacal laugh – one that she immediately recognized.  
Quickly, she grabbed the hilt of her sword and wielded it tightly, looking around frantically as the evil laugh echoed around her.  
‘’You… ‘’ a deep, silvery voice then called, ‘’I… found you’’  
Kathrina felt her heart racing, the voice causing fear and angst to consume her.  
The voice laughed again, ‘’did you really think you could get away from me so easily?’’ it called, seeming to circulate around her as if its owner was racing around her.  
She looked around frantically, breathing quickly as she searched the darkness, but there was no one and nothing to see. The emeralds on the ground beneath her had vanished, leaving her in the pitch blackness once again. But her fear quickly turned into anger; she was tired of being afraid, just as she was tired of running. Her decision to stay in Tsunami’s city was her deciding that was done being afraid – she wasn’t going to let herself become intimidated.  
Gripping her sword tightly, she scowled evilly and looked around slowly, ‘’show yourself’’ she growled. But there was no reply, there was nothing but the silence and endless darkness around her. She frowned, looking around frantically – suddenly, the darkness began to fade, revealing a huge group of masked Warlocks standing around her. All of them were masked and shrouded, their golden eyes shimmering from beneath their masks, staring at her as she fell into panic and angst once again.  
Before she could react, a tall, broad, light-hazel-haired man burst out from the crowd and reached out to grab her with his pale hands. She stumbled back and tried to plunge her sword towards him, but he gripped her throat with his hands before she could.  
‘’I will finally have what is mine!’’ he yelled, starting to choke her as he lifted her up off her feet, making her drop her sword.  
She gripped his wrists with her hands, grunting, struggling, choking. She stared down at his face which was covered by a deer skull, his shimmering purple eyes glowing from behind it. She choked, ‘’G-Gahi’’ she grunted, trying to pull free from him, but she felt as though she had no strength at all. She tried to use her magic, but it was unresponsive.  
Gahi grinned behind his mask as she choked in his grip, ‘’nobody… betrays me’’ he growled.  
Panic completely consumed her as she struggled, trying to call for help, trying to escape, but all of her attempts were useless.  
‘’I’m coming for you, girl’’ Gahi growled demonically, ‘’no longer will you keep that which you stole from me!’’  
Kathrina choked again, grunting, ‘’I… I’m not… afraid… of you!’’ she growled, still trying to pull free.  
Gahi laughed cruelly and threw her to the ground. Before she could recover, he slammed his right foot down onto her back. As she groaned painfully, he snickered, ‘’of course you are’’ he grinned, ‘’why else would you be running?’’  
‘’I... I’m not – ‘’  
‘’Did you think that you’d evade me all your life?’’ he asked, tilting his head to the side, ‘’did you think that I’d let you go so easily?’’  
She frowned in confusion, unsure of what he was hinting at –  
Then, Gahi laughed wickedly, ‘’foolish… little girl’’ he growled.  
As he pressed his foot down against her back, she closed her eyes and yelled in agony -

Suddenly, Kathrina opened her eyes and yelled, holding her hand over her chest as she quickly sat up, breathing heavily. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she looked around in utter panic, but when she realized that she was in her room within the Seer fort, she started to calm down. She quickly looked over at the window, the early morning light shining in through the curtains. The air was cold, the smell of damp lingering around her as she breathed deeply, trying to relax.  
What was that? Was it a dream? No… it felt too real to have been a dream…  
But then, as loud, thumping footsteps started echoing through the hall outside, she sighed and rolled her eyes, looking over at the door. Moments later, it swung open and Tsunami burst in, looking around frantically.  
He set his eyes on her, ‘’what happened?!’’ he demanded in worry and confusion.  
Kathrina shrugged and sighed, ‘’just a bad dream’’ she mumbled.  
Tsunami sighed in relief, but instead of leaving like Kathrina clearly wanted, he closed the door and walked over to her.  
She frowned impatiently as he sat on the end of her bed and looked back at her, ‘’what do you want?’’ she mumbled, ‘’it was just a bad dream’’  
‘’Let me guess – ‘’ he said, turning to face her, crossing his legs as he leaned forward, ‘’-Gahi?’’  
Slightly uncomfortable with how close he was getting, Kathrina shuffled back, ‘’uh… yeah’’ she confirmed.  
He nodded and sighed, ‘’yeah… I get bad dreams too, you know’’ he said, ‘’about my home, about my past – ‘’  
She then shook her head, ‘’I… it didn’t really feel like a dream though… something about it felt so real’’ she frowned, looking over at him.  
‘’What do you mean?’’ he frowned.  
‘’Like… it was like Gahi was here with me, I think… I think he got into my head – ‘’  
‘’How?’’ he asked in worry and confusion.  
Kathrina placed her right hand on her forehead and sighed, ‘’I’m not sure, but… I think he knows where I am – he has to, how else would those Warlocks have known I was here?’’  
Shaking his head as he saw panic in her eyes, Tsunami sighed, ‘’don’t worry’’ he said in an assuring tone, ‘’if Gahi so much as steps foot near this city, we’ll kill him the same way we did those Warlock bastards’’  
‘’Tsunami, Gahi isn’t just any Warlock’’ she frowned, ‘’he’s the leader of the clan I was in, he’s so much more powerful than any of them’’  
‘’I don’t care’’ Tsunami said as he gritted his teeth in anger, ‘’I’m still going to slay that bastard for what he did’’  
She sighed and looked down at the floor beside her, ‘’he spoke about betrayal’’  
‘’About you betraying him?’’ he questioned.  
‘’I guess – but the way he said it, it makes me think that… well… what if Elijah was found out?’’  
‘’You think Gahi knows he helped you escape?’’  
She nodded, ‘’and… if he did… then… what if… I… he – ‘’  
Tsunami reached forward and placed his hand over hers, ‘’look, I’m still gonna help you find out what happened to your friend. I swore I would, so stop worrying, alright? We’ll find him’’

But she wasn't listening. She sighed and stood up; she walked over to one of the windows and yanked the curtains open, staring out into the distance. But as she stared down at the buildings below, a shrouded figure caught her eyes. She watched as the figure quickly vanished into the gloomy city below, a slight glimpse of white catching her eye before it vanished. She frowned – was someone watching her?  
‘’What’s wrong?’’ Tsunami then asked, startling her.  
She flinched and shook her head, looking down at the courtyard below, ‘’I just… I’m thinking about the day I left – I remember it like it was yesterday’’  
‘’You wanna talk about it?’’ he asked curiously.  
Glancing back at him, she shrugged, ‘’I just… even though living in that Kingdom was awful, a part of me wishes I was still there, that I didn’t have to leave him behind’’  
‘’Well… what happened?’’ he asked eagerly.  
Kathrina sighed and closed her eyes, taking herself back to the moment she was thinking about…

Two years ago…

Kathrina slowly opened her eyes and looked around; sitting in front of her was another stag-masked Warlock dressed in black robes, serval belts attached to the chest of it, another on the tall, rounded, pointed collar. She stared straight at him as he stared back, his eyes glistening a bright mint-green from beneath his mask. His pupils were like those of a cat, slightly dilating as he stared at her.   
They were both sitting under a tree, two beautiful birds sitting on a branch above them. The first bird was a glistening black color, the other a stunning white. The birds looked like they were covered in flames, their feathers wavy and long, floating elegantly in the light breeze. The birds chirped quietly as Kathrina stroked the soft grass beneath her hands, leaning back on them. She stared up at the bright blue sky, a sense of calm and peace swallowing her as the sun’s rays shined warmly down on her face.  
‘’This will always be my favorite place to come’’ he said quietly as he picked up something from within the small pond beside him. He then reached out and handed her something, ‘’these are emeralds’’ he said as Kathrina looked down at the small shimmering green stone he had handed her, ‘’they are the same color as your eyes’’  
She took her eyes off the stone and looked up at him.  
‘’Also… just as beautiful’’ he said, clearly smirking behind his mask.  
Her face turned slightly red as she looked back down at the stone, ‘’I… I – ‘’  
He then sighed and leaned back against the tree they were sitting under. He stared out at the field ahead of them, ‘’if only it could always be like this’’ he mumbled.  
‘’Like what?’’ she asked, looking over at him.  
Slowly, he looked down at the grass and shrugged, ‘’peaceful, quiet – ‘’  
‘’That’ll never happen’’ she said sadly, looking down at the ground as well, ‘’not with people like Gahi around’’  
‘’Alvenguard will never be peaceful, nor will it ever be safe as long as Warlocks are around’’ he grumbled, fiddling with the grass beneath him, ‘’people like you and I – people who Gahi thinks he owns… we will never know peace or freedom, not unless we take it ourselves’’  
Frowning, Kathrina looked back up at him, ‘’what do you mean?’’  
But then, he sighed and stood up, ‘’we should finish training, the day is almost over’’ he said, holding his hand out towards her, helping her stand.  
As she stood up, she reached into her robes for her sword. However, once she grabbed its hilt and looked back, her companion was no longer with her. She frowned, looking around strangely. It was then that she noticed it was no longer late afternoon, but early morning. Before she could question the abrupt time skip, the sound of rushing footsteps echoed towards her.  
‘’Kathrina!’’ came her companions panicked voice.  
She flinched and quickly turned around, watching as he raced towards her, rushing out from the forest not too far away. In the distance, a familiar castle was visible over the treetops, an ominous sense falling over her as she glanced at it.  
As soon as he reached her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stared down at her, clear panic in his shimmering green eyes, ‘’you must leave – now!’’ he warned.  
Confusion, worry and reluctance filled her as she stared up at him, ‘’w-what?’’ she frowned, ‘’why?!’’  
He pulled his hands from her shoulders and looked around frantically, ‘’Gahi and the other Princes, they know you are no longer compelled, they know of your immunity – they are coming!’’ he panicked, looking back down at her again.  
Overwhelmed with so many different emotions, she shook her head, ‘’b-but… I – ‘’  
Looking back at the forest, he whistled loudly – then, he sharply turned his head and looked back down at her, ‘’listen to me – ‘’ he demanded, kneeling down in front of her, and as she stared down at him, he frowned in regret, ‘’you have to run’’ he said sternly, staring into her confused eyes, ‘’you have to leave now – you have to go and you must never come back, you must get as far away from here as you can’’  
The sound of incoming, galloping horses echoed in the distance as she stared down at him. He looked more pained than she felt, a look of despondency in his eyes. She couldn’t understand what was going on, she couldn’t work out how to respond – she didn’t know what to say, what to do, all she knew was that she didn’t want to leave him.  
She shook her head again, ‘’I… what about you?’’ she asked as a black horse burst out of the forest, rushing over to them.  
He stood up and grabbed the horse’s reigns as it stopped beside him, ‘’do not worry about me’’ he said sternly, handing the reigns to her, ‘’they do not know I was involved – go!’’ he insisted, pushing her back slightly.  
Kathrina stumbled back, but her reluctance to leave him kept her from immediately complying to his order. She pouted as a horrible feeling of heartbreak started to swallow her, ‘’I can’t just… leave you’’ she frowned.  
‘’If you do not go now, they will kill us both’’ he said sternly, picking her up like a child before she could refuse. He placed her on the horse’s saddle and stared up at her, ‘’do not come back here – ever. You run, and you keep running, and no matter what happens… do not come back’’  
The sincerity in his tone hurt her. He was telling her to leave and to never come back – did that mean she was never going to see him again? Before he could force the horse to move, Kathrina grabbed his wrist and stared down at him, her eyes filling with tears, ‘’I don’t want to leave you!’’ she yelled.  
‘’You have no choice!’’ he yelled back, pulling free from her, ‘’go!’’  
‘’I’m not leaving – ‘’  
‘’I said go!’’ he yelled, so furiously that she flinched in shock, grasping the horse’s reigns tightly. But then, he sighed sadly and grabbed her right hand, ‘’I promise, this will not be forever’’ he said quietly, ‘’you will see me again, nothing will keep us apart for too long. You just… have to go now’’  
Sniffling, Kathrina stared down at his sorrowful eyes, ‘’but… how long will I have to run?’’  
‘’Until I find you again’’ he answered, ‘’no matter what happens, just keep running, and one day, I will join you’’ he said sternly.  
She then frowned, ‘’but… why can’t you come with me?’’  
Just then, the sound of distant, yelling voices caught their attention. They both sharply turned their heads and looked back at the forest, the voices quickly getting closer. He frowned in angst and looked back up at her as she looked down at him.  
‘’I have to stay here and watch them’’ he said, ‘’when the time is right, I will follow you. But you must leave, there is no time to explain anymore’’ he said regretfully, stepping back.  
She shook her head, ‘’I- ‘’  
‘’Go!’’ he yelled, hitting the horse’s back.   
Before Kathrina could say anything else, the horse cried loudly and sprinted forward, racing away from him. She looked back over her shoulder, tears trickling down her cheeks as the distance between her and him became further. In just moments, the horse carried her into a forest, and all sight of him was lost.   
She clenched her chest, breathing unsteadily, the sense of heartbreak becoming something overwhelming. Why had he sent her away so abruptly? How had Gahi and the other Princes even found out about her immunity to their control? And what about him? Gahi wasn’t an idiot, he was going to point fingers at someone for helping her get away…  
But he was smarter – in fact, he was the smartest person she knew. There was no way he’d be caught, but that didn’t stop her from worrying. And now, she felt completely alone. Why couldn’t he just leave with her? She frowned and slowly looked ahead, the horse still racing through the forest.  
Kathrina frowned, noticing that the horse was panting furiously, almost as if it was panicking. She looked around cautiously, an ominous sense falling over her – and then, as a horrific, monstrous growl echoed around her, she sharply turned her head to look ahead again – in the blink of an eye, something pounced at her and the horse from ahead – and then… darkness.

Present…

Kathrina sighed as she stared out at the courtyard below, ‘’I don’t know what it was, but it just came out of nowhere’’   
Tsunami frowned, still sitting cross-legged on the bed, ‘’what happened?’’  
She shrugged, ‘’I woke up a few hours or so later – around dusk. There was no sign of whatever attacked us, but my horse was dead’’  
‘’Dead?’’  
‘’Yeah’’ she nodded, looking back over her shoulder at him, ‘’something had torn it to pieces, eaten all its insides and left nothing but its head and a single leg’’  
Disgusted, Tsunami gagged slightly, ‘’uh… thanks for the details’’  
‘’You’re welcome’’ she smirked.  
‘’Well… why didn’t whatever killed your horse hurt you?’’  
Looking back down at the courtyard, Kathrina shrugged, ‘’I never really worked that out. But when I woke up, I do remember seeing this weird black marking all up my left arm’’  
‘’Marking?’’  
‘’Yeah’’ she said, ‘’it was like… black, kinda like a rune, but it looked like it had a fiery outline’’ she said, dragging her hand up her arm, ‘’like it was glowing or something’’  
Staring at her, Tsunami frowned strangely, ‘’you think that… maybe that marking protected you?’’ he assumed.  
‘’Maybe. I don’t know what it is though, or how it even got there’’  
‘’Well, where’d you go from there?’’ he asked curiously.  
Kathrina shrugged again, ‘’took me a few days to get out of that forest, then I came across a little village. They were having trouble with a small Vampire clan and there was a reward for anyone that could get rid of them. I obviously needed money if I was to get anywhere in this stupid world, so I offered to help. Warlock’s aren’t affected by Vampirism the same way we aren’t affected by Lycanthropy, so I guess I was perfect for the job. Took me a day or so, but I found the Vampires – they were feral, so I couldn’t really reason with them the same way I did with your Werewolves’’  
‘’You killed them?’’  
She nodded, ‘’got the money, gathered some supplies and hit the road. I was alone for a few weeks – until I found Spirit’’ she smiled, ‘’there was a contract on a Gryphon in this run-down town I came across. I found Spirit while hunting it; the monster was attacking her herd, and she was the only survivor. She was just a foal and we instantly bonded – Unicorns grow real fast, I was able to ride her after a few months and we’ve been together ever since’’  
‘’So, since you left, all you’ve been doing is just moving around from town to town, taking on contracts, helping people?’’ Tsunami asked.  
‘’Well, yeah’’ she answered, looking back at him, ‘’it’s something to do I guess’’  
Tsunami looked down at his lap, ‘’something to pass the time while you waited for Elijah to join you?’’ he asked.  
Kathrina saddened and looked back out of the window, ‘’I thought I’d only be waiting a few months, but two years later, here I still am… taking on contracts, waiting, trying to pass time’’  
He sighed and looked over at her, ‘’ever think that maybe… well… I don’t know the guy, but… what if he never really planned on coming after you?’’  
She instantly sharply turned her head and glared back at him, ‘’you don’t know him at all, don’t say stuff like that’’ she growled.  
Seeing that he had offended her, Tsunami held up his hands and sighed, ‘’I’m sorry, it’s just… been on my mind’’  
‘’Whatever’’ she pouted, glaring down at the courtyard, ‘’he just… something must have happened to stop him from coming – that’s why I have to return and find him myself’’

Silence then fell over them. Tsunami frowned awkwardly, unsure of what to say, afraid that he might offend her again. But he didn’t want to just sit there in silence either. In fact, something she had said was making him think about his own past; her story was making him remember feelings he had felt the day he had lost the person that meant the most to him, and it had been so long since he had thought about it.  
He sighed and looked down at his lap again, ‘’I remember too’’ he said quietly.  
Kathrina sighed quietly and continued to stare out of the window. The sky outside was getting brighter as the day was beginning, birds beginning to chirp as a few villagers started emerging from their homes. She glanced back at Tsunami, ‘’remember what?’’ she asked.  
‘’The day I lost everything’’ he mumbled.  
She frowned and walked over to the bed, sitting beside him, ‘’what happened?’’ she asked, slightly curious to know about his past.  
Sadness covered his tired face as he stared at his lap, ‘’it was a time of war in my Realm – well, the war was at a stand-still, some even considered it over – but it wasn’t’’ he started, speaking in a sullen tone.  
Looking over at him, Kathrina frowned, ‘’seems like war isn’t exclusive to Alvenguard, huh?’’  
He laughed slightly, but then saddened again, ‘’no, its not. Our people were divided into two kind of religions, I guess. There were those that followed the law of Poseidon, and those that followed that of Ares, our Realms’ Gods’’  
‘’Let me guess: your people were fighting over which God was better or something?’’  
‘’It was just a clash of beliefs’’ he sighed, ‘’worshippers of Ares thought that everyone should follow Ares’ way, and worshippers of Poseidon thought that everyone should follow Poseidon’s way’’  
She frowned, ‘’oh… so… what’s the war got to do with you losing everything?’’ she asked curiously.  
‘’Well, I was one of the people that thought the war was over’’ he said, looking over at her.  
‘’What did you do?’’  
He sighed sadly and looked back down at his lap, ‘’my wife was a Prophet, one of the people that worked to end the war. She was always working so hard and I wanted to give her a break, so I took her out. I was an idiot though’’  
‘’How?’’  
‘’I took her outside the city, down to some frozen lake I used to hang out around. We were just relaxing there when these soldiers turned up’’  
Kathrina’s curious look faded into a sympathetic one, sure that she knew what he was about to say.  
‘’I thought they were headed for the city, and my first instinct told me to stop them. I abandoned her and rushed to fight. One of the soldiers slipped away and got to her before I could stop him. My wife ran onto the lake… it collapsed beneath her and the soldier, both of them fell in… and… I… I was…’’ he gritted his teeth painfully and closed his eyes, ‘’I was too slow’’ he grunted, clearly trying to hold back tears. He then dragged his hand over his face and shook his head, ‘’she died because of me – because I was too much of a fucking idiot’’  
‘’How was it your fault?’’ she frowned in confusion.  
He looked over at her, ‘’I should have protected her, and I just… left her. She wasn’t a fighter, she’d never held a sword in her entire life… and I just… left her’’  
‘’But you stopped those soldiers; if you hadn’t have stopped them, they would have attacked your city, right?’’  
Tsunami shook his head as he gritted his teeth once again, ‘’n-no… the city could have held them off, I should have just… I should have protected her!’’ he growled, hiding his face in his hands in frustration, ‘’I just left her to fend for herself – and she died because of my stupid decision!’’   
Kathrina sighed, ‘’look, from what you said, most people thought the war was over, right? So, they wouldn’t have been prepared for those soldiers. Your wife may have died, but your choice saved so many more people. Don’t tell me you’d rather have left those soldiers to attack and kill unsuspecting people?’’ she frowned.  
He slowly looked over at her, ‘’n-no’’ he stuttered, almost as if he was unsure of his answer.  
‘’And like you told me, you gotta learn to move on’’ she shrugged, ‘’you can’t undo the past, but you can learn to live with it, you know’’  
Tsunami frowned and looked down at his lap again, ‘’I just… can’t help but feel like I made a mistake’’  
‘’Yeah, me too’’ she agreed quietly, looking down at the floor despondently.  
‘’Huh?’’ he asked, looking over at her again.  
She shrugged, ‘’I just… what if me trusting Elijah was a mistake?’’ she asked, looking over at Tsunami, ‘’if I had just… rejected him, maybe things would be different, maybe I’d still be with him’’  
‘’But then you’d still be under Gahi’s control, and what kind of life would that be?’’  
‘’I’d still be with him’’ she said sadly.  
Tsunami pouted slightly, ‘’well, like you just said, you can’t undo the past, you just gotta learn to live with it’’  
Kathrina scoffed and scowled at him, ‘’what the hell?’’ she asked in offense, ‘’why do you always get so pissy when I talk about him?’’  
He then scoffed too, ‘’I ain’t pissy’’ he denied.  
‘’Yeah, you are’’ she snapped, standing up, ‘’first you were all up for helping me find him, but now it kinda seems like you’re hoping we don’t’’  
‘’What?!’’ he exclaimed, jumping to his feet, ‘’I never said that! Of course I wanna help you find him!’’  
‘’And what if we do find him, huh?’’ she frowned.  
Staring down at her angered face, he dragged his hand over the back of his neck and looked around slowly, ‘’well… then… I’ll be happy we found him for you’’  
Kathrina frowned sceptically, ‘’right…’’  
Then, Tsunami sighed, ‘’well, are you gonna try and get back to sleep?’’ he asked, looking over at the window, ‘’I guess it’s dawn already, and I got stuff to do today – I always have stuff to do’’ he grumbled.  
‘’No’’ she answered, pulling her robes on, ‘’I’m gonna head back down to that river today’’  
As he watched her pull her boots on, he frowned, ‘’why?’’  
‘’I wanna investigate the Warlocks that we killed down there, see if I can find anything of use on them’’  
‘’Like what?’’ he asked, watching her as she started walking over to the door.  
‘’You really are an idiot, aren’t you?’’ she asked rudely.  
Tsunami quickly followed her as she left the room, ‘’how am I an idiot?’’ he frowned, following her through the corridor.  
She sighed as they made their way down the stairs, ‘’all higher-ranking Warlocks that aren’t Princes carry a talisman that allows them to communicate with Gahi or the Princes. If one of the dead Warlocks has one, maybe I can use it to find out what Gahi’s doing’’  
‘’You can do that?’’ he asked as they walked towards the doors that led out into the courtyard.  
Kathrina nodded, ‘’it’s a kind of communication device that can only be activated by Warlock magic of a higher-ranking Warlock. I’m classed as a Prime Warlock, so my magic will work on it’’  
‘’Won’t they detect you?’’  
She shook her head, stopping in the courtyard, ‘’I don’t know’’ she answered, ‘’but I have to try. I need to know if Gahi really does know where I am’’  
‘’Well… I can come with you, if you want?’’ he offered.  
‘’No, I’ll be fine by myself’’ she denied.  
‘’What if something happens? What if more Warlocks come?’’ he asked in panic.  
‘’I can take care of myself’’ she frowned.  
Tsunami sighed and looked back over his shoulder, setting his eyes on Logan who was helping Joe out in the stables, Cobra drinking from a bowl of water. He then looked back at Kathrina, ‘’well, I gotta help those two out, so I’ll see you later… alright?’’ he asked unsurely.  
‘’Yeah’’ she mumbled.

As Tsunami left to join Joe and Logan, Kathrina turned around and started to walk down the path and through the city. But as she did, she noticed that the villagers were all staring at her, muttering to one another as she passed – she didn’t care though. Pretty much everyone was sure to know by now that she was a Warlock. As long as no one tried the same maneuver as Foggy, there’d be no problems.  
She sighed and stared down at her feet as she walked forward, trying to ignore the evil stares and mumbles –  
Suddenly, a group of four Humans stood in front of her, making her stumble and stop. She frowned and glared up at them; they were all men who looked to be in their late twenties, cautious looks on their dirty faces as they stared down at her. Glaring at them, Kathrina sighed, ‘’look, I don’t want any trouble’’ she grumbled, ‘’I just wanna get past – ‘’  
Before she could pass, the men closed to small gap between themselves, keeping her from leaving.  
‘’Get out of my way’’ she growled, glaring up at them.  
But then, the blonde-haired man among them held out his hand, ‘’the name’s Greg’’ he introduced, ‘’this is Glock, Ben and Chav’’ he then said, pointing to each of his companions. Glock was short and stubby, his face covered in an unnatural amount of black hair – was it supposed to be his beard? Ben was at least six feet tall, his head bald, his eyes brown., and he looked to be the muscle of their little group. Chav, on the other hand, looked like a walking corpse. His skin was crumbled and flaking, not a single tooth in his mouth as he smiled, and his eyes were a dull blue.  
Kathrina slowly took Greg’s hand and shook it.  
‘’We wanted to thank you for what you did last night’’ Chav said, shaking her hand after Greg let go.  
Ben then took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of her palm, ‘’Ben like Warlock girl’’ he said, his voice like that of a playful child.   
Kathrina realized at this moment that her assumption of Ben was wrong. She smiled unsurely and nodded, ‘’uh… okay?’’ she frowned.  
Glock then shook her hand after prying it from Ben’s, ‘’not every day a Warlock turns out to be on our side’’ he said.  
She then scoffed, ‘’wow, didn’t expect you to believe that so easily’’  
Greg smirked, ‘’well, not only did you help fight off those Warlocks, you stopped those Werewolves. Opus also made sure that he told everyone that you’re on our side, and everyone here trusts that old man – he’s never been wrong about anything’’  
Ben nodded frantically, ‘’old man know everything’’ he said, ‘’old man friend’’  
‘’Opus is creepy’’ Kathrina mumbled.  
‘’Warlock… friend?’’ Ben asked unsurely.  
‘’Yeah, she’s our friend’’ Chav nodded, looking up at Ben who then clapped his hands together excitedly.  
Glock then looked at her, ‘’so, you’re planning to go up against the big bad?’’ he asked.  
‘’Big… bad?’’ she frowned.  
‘’The boss Warlock’’ Greg said, ‘’Garry?’’  
‘’Gahi’’ Kathrina corrected, ‘’and yeah, I guess we’re planning to kill him’’  
Chav frowned, ‘’we?’’  
‘’Yeah, Tsunami and me’’  
‘’You and one Seer?’’ Glock asked doubtfully.  
Kathrina then sighed irritably, ‘’look, if you don’t mind, I got things to do’’  
‘’Right’’ Greg nodded, stepping aside to let her pass, ‘’if there’s anything you need, just ask, we all owe ya’’ he called as she started walking down the path towards the city’s exit.  
Walking, she shook her head and sighed, eager to get away from the city for a while. But the fact that people were starting to accept her made her feel happy, like she was starting to belong somewhere. She had felt so alone and cast out for a long, long time… and now, she was starting to feel as if she had finally found a place to belong. But something was still missing… without Elijah, she felt as though she’d never be completely happy. She had to find him, no matter what.

In the stables, Tsunami was staring over at Spirit as Joe fed the horses. He was sitting beneath one of the open windows, deep in thought. After his previous conversations with Kathrina, he was starting to think more and more about what might happen if they really did find Kathrina’s companion, Elijah. Tsunami wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he was starting to develop feelings for Kathrina – feelings that were more than just friendship. And he couldn’t help but feel as though if they found Elijah, he’d lose any chance of becoming anything more to her. The way she spoke about Elijah made him think that she and he had some kind of relationship – even though Kathrina denied it, he still felt as though there was something between them.  
He sighed –  
‘’That’s one thing I never really understood’’ Logan suddenly said, slumping down beside Tsunami who flinched in shock.  
Tsunami straightened up and frowned, ‘’what?’’ he asked.  
Logan looked over at Tsunami and then at Spirit, ‘’Unicorns’’  
''Unicorns?'' Joe laughed as joined them, having finished feeding the horses.  
Nodding, Logan patted Cobra’s head as he sat between his legs, panting happily, ‘’people see them as some majestic creature, but they’re just horned horses’’   
Joe shook his head, ‘’Unicorns are resistant to all magics, and that’s what makes them seem so ‘majestic’, as you put it’’  
‘’I heard Unicorns sell for a lot in some places’’ Tsunami mumbled, ‘’Alchemists and Mages apparently experiment on them, tryna find ways to use their resistance to magic and apply it to objects, people etc.’’  
‘’Kinda sick, really’’ Logan said.  
‘’The people here are far more barbaric than those back home, brother’’ Joe muttered.  
Tsunami frowned, ‘’I heard the Arikarin have some weird practices too’’ he said, ‘’don’t you people use tiger bones for medicine that doesn’t even work?’’  
Logan frowned in offence, ‘’that would be the Chinese’’ he said, ‘’Arikarin like my brother and I are Japanese’’  
Once again, Tsunami had offended someone. He sighed and shook his head, ‘’yeah, sorry, I ain’t been here long enough to get all this stuff right. Alvenguard’s got too many different peoples, back home, we were all just Atlanteans’’ he mumbled.  
The brothers looked at one another strangely before looking back at Tsunami.  
‘’What’s up with you?’’ Logan asked.  
Tsunami sighed and leaned back against the wall, ‘’I dunno, just thinking about Kathrina I guess’’  
Sighing, Logan stopped patting Cobra’s head, ‘’I still don’t know how I feel about that girl’’ he said as Joe and Tsunami looked at him, ‘’she seems to be on our side, but her judgement is just a little… well… I feel like she doesn’t really think through her choices’’  
‘’This about those Werewolves?’’ Tsunami groaned irritably, ‘’having some friendly Werewolves is a benefit’’  
‘’I hate to say it, but my brother’s right’’ Joe agreed, ‘’what if they turn on us?’’  
‘’Then we’ll deal with them’’ Tsunami grumbled.  
Seeing that Tsunami was getting aggravated, Logan sighed and looked over at his brother, ‘’I gotta go talk to Tsunami alone, you good here?’’ he asked.  
His brother nodded, ‘’yeah’’  
Then, Logan looked over at Tsunami, ‘’let’s go’’

Tsunami didn’t refuse. He stood up and followed Logan as he led the way out of the stables, Cobra quickly following. The pair didn’t speak a single word to each other as they began to walk through the city. They reached the cliff side and began to climb to stairs up onto the wall, and as they reached the top, they walked along to Tsunami's post, ensuring that nobody was in hearing distance.   
Logan then glared at Tsunami, trying to work out how to say what was on his mind.  
However, Tsunami quickly turned and glared back at him, ‘’you know, I was just thinking: how does Opus seem to know literally everything? And how does he like… read people?’’  
Frowning, Logan sighed and then smirked, ‘’why not ask him yourself?’’ he suggested.  
A sceptical look clung to Tsunami’s face, but as he noticed Logan’s eyes on something behind him, he frowned and slowly looked back over his shoulder. Instantly, his eyes met Opus’, making him stumble forward in shock –  
‘’Tell me: is it better to overcome one’s evil nature through severe effort, or to be born good?’’ the old man asked randomly, looking at Tsunami and the Logan.  
The pair glanced at one another in confusion; both of them were unsure if he had overheard them talking in the stables, or if he was just randomly ranting on about something entirely different. The old man gazed at them with his one visible purple eye. It sparkled brightly in the sunlight, and from what was visible of his mouth, they could make out that he was smirking.  
‘’Uhh... are you asking for my personal opinion?’’ Tsunami asked unsurely.  
‘’Just tell me what you think is truly better, yes?’’  
Tsunami sighed, ‘’well, I guess to be born good... because overcoming your evil nature isn't really going to change what you’ve done. Take a Warlock for example-''  
Opus' eye lit up as if he was paying more attention than usual.  
‘’Warlocks kill and kill; they destroy families, the lives of people... they can't exactly give that back, can they? If a Warlock was to ever repent from his evil nature and try to overcome it, he can't bring back everyone he's killed, he can't fix the broken families. Why would it be better to be evil and overcome it? How can you overcome such evils?’’  
Logan looked at him strangely, ‘’you sure know your way around his weird questions, don't you?’’ he smirked, ‘’but then again, I think overcoming your evil nature could be better. I mean, it takes great effort, and only those that are truly dedicated can actually achieve something like that’’ he answered, looking at the old man.  
‘’Yes... you believe that no one can make up for the crimes she or he has committed... that there is no way to overcome one's evil nature... yes...?’’ he asked, looking at Tsunami.  
‘’That's what I said’’ he agreed, proud of his answer.  
‘’Then tell me Tsunami... what about Nightly hmmm?’’  
He choked and turned away from him, offended, ‘’how dare you bring that up’’ he growled quietly.  
‘’You must be careful about what you say, Tsunami... yes... does your answer apply to everyone to have ever committed a crime, no matter how small or how big... yes?''  
‘’Why are you even asking me this? It's just out of nowhere’’ he grumbled.  
Logan shook his head, ‘’surely by now you must understand that everything he says has some greater meaning, Tsunami’’ he muttered and then looked back at the old man, ‘’I believe that someone can overcome his evil nature for a strong reason, as long as he, too, is strong and can dedicate to that reason'' he said, hoping for the old man’s praise.  
Opus looked over at Logan, ‘’you do not answer with much depth, yes, but there is logic within your answers’’ he said rather harshly.  
Disappointed with the old man’s response, Logan frowned sadly and looked down at the ground. An appraisal from someone like Opus was rare, something he wanted to receive, but he clearly wasn’t going to get it today.  
‘’So why are you asking us this?’’ Tsunami asked impatiently.  
Slowly, the old man looked over at him, ‘’you want an answer, yes… I feel no need to provide you with one, but I feel as though you will bother me until I tell you something – and I cannot be bothered to deal with… you’’ he said, pointing at Tsunami who frowned in offence. The old man lowered his hand and looked at them both, ‘’I will simply say that… I was not born good, yes’’ he said.  
They both looked at each other again, still confused as to why he was telling them this. They then quickly turned back to look at him, but he was nowhere to be seen.


	8. The Stag

Down in the valley, Kathrina was sitting beside the river, staring into the gently flowing water. The sky above was clear and the air was warm, the area around her filled with bird song. She had searched the decimated Warlock corpses, but to her irritancy and disappointment, she hadn’t found what she had come looking for. She pouted as she watched a group of fish swim past in the river below her, swimming gracefully.  
She then frowned and looked away, ‘’stupid Warlocks’’ she pouted like a stubborn child.  
Just then, the grass and bushes within the small forest ahead of her on the opposite side of the river rustled slightly. She quickly stood up and gripped the hilt of her sword, glaring into the trees ahead. However, her worry quickly faded as she watched a stag and a single doe walk out from the cover of the trees. She stood there, watching as the pair gradually approached the river, the stag eying her cautiously. As the doe reached the river and started drinking, the stag continued to glare at Kathrina, flicking its ears as Kathrina stared back at it.  
A few moments later, a whole herd of deer emerged from the trees. Kathrina smiled slightly, watching as they all approached the river and started to drink from it.  
But the stag then flinched, taking its eyes off Kathrina. The beast groaned loudly, and as it did, the entire herd fell into panic. The herd swiftly scurried away, disappearing back into the trees as Kathrina watched in confusion – had she scared them? She frowned and looked back down at the river – as soon as she set her eyes on it, she noticed a long, black shadow creeping along the ground below her. She tensed up, but instantly grabbed the hilt of her sword, pulled it from its sheath and spun around –  
She froze in fear as she stared ahead, setting her eyes on a small group of unmistakable Warlocks no more than twenty feet away from her. Her hand trembled as she gripped her sword’s hilt tighter, eying each of them frantically. There were five of them; the middle was the tallest, wearing a stag mask over his face, his Warlock-like trench coat black with a silvery outline around the tall, pointed collar. There were a few belts attached to his coat, unbuckled, revealing his black shirt beneath as well as a black belt around his waist, a blue-grey curved scabbard attached to his left side. The sword within the scabbard had the same color hilt, its cross-guard rounded and a shimmering gold. Just like his shirt and jacket, his knee-height boots and trousers were black.  
The four Warlocks standing behind him side-by-side were all dressed the same; their Warlock robes were a dark ocean blue, their shirts, trousers and shin-height boots all a deep, dark purple. They wore the skulls of hornless stags, steel straight-swords at their sides.   
Kathrina shuddered – an execution squad. A small group of Warlocks like the ones before her were always sent out to execute traitors or to unleash destruction upon a Human settlement, rendering it to nothing but dust in less than an hour. The Warlock dressed in all black was their lead, and most likely a Prince, the highest Warlock rank below Gahi. The fact that they were standing before her right now horrified her – Gahi did know where she was… and he had sent an execution squad to end her.  
But she wasn’t going to let that happen. She scowled evilly, holding her sword in front of her, ready to fight. She knew that she didn’t stand a chance against their leader, but the other four looked to be either Master Warlocks or lower. What was she supposed to do? If only she had agreed to have Tsunami come with her…   
Just then, the four blue-robed Warlocks turned their heads to look at their leader who seemed to be frozen on the spot, confusing Kathrina. She frowned angrily, ‘’w-well?!’’ she called in both fear and fury, ‘’what are you waiting for?!’’  
The four Warlocks looked over at Kathrina and then to their leader, like they were waiting for him to order them to attack – but he didn’t.  
Then, one of the Warlocks shook his head and stepped forward, ‘’Kathrina Csernis’’ he called sternly, his voice leading Kathrina to believe that the man below the mask was no older than she was. He pointed at her, ‘’by order of King Gahi, you are to be subdued and returned to the Central-Alvenguard Warlock Kingdom. Resistance will end up in injury, and quite possibly death’’  
One of the other Warlocks scoffed, ‘’let’s just kill the bitch!’’  
Their leader finally moved: he sharply turned his head and pointed at the Warlock who had just yelled, ‘’chinmoku’’ he growled.  
However, the Warlock wasn’t at all intimidated by his leader. As his comrades stood back, he turned to face their leader, ‘’we were sent here to grab the bitch, so do your fucking job and – ‘’  
In the blink of an eye, their leader grabbed his subordinate by his throat, lifting him up off his feet as the other three Warlocks grabbed the hilts of their swords, clearly unsure what to do. Kathrina frowned and gasped in confusion, still pointing her sword forward. But then, to her surprise and confusion, she began to witness something… miraculous.  
Mercilessly, the lead Warlock plunged his free hand forward and through his subordinate’s chest. At that moment, the other three Warlocks pulled their swords from their sheaths and pounced into action. Their leader ripped the heart of his subordinate from his chest, dropping his shattering stone body to the ground as he turned around, swiftly reaching forward, grabbing the throat of one of the other Warlocks with his bloody hand.  
As his comrade was grabbed, the third subordinate moved to attack, holding his blade up to strike – but he was too slow. Their leader swiftly pulled a wakizashi from within his coat – but then, he looked back over his shoulder at the fourth subordinate which was approaching from behind. However, he wasn’t unsettled. Swiftly, effortlessly and simultaneously, he stabbed his wakizashi back, stabbing the Warlock with its blade, lifting his right leg, harshly slamming his foot into the other Warlock’s stomach, sending him flying across the ground.   
He then forced his hand into the chest of the Warlock he was holding, his body shattering to stone as the crumbling stone body of the Warlock he had stabbed hit the ground. Quickly, he crouched down and recovered his wakizashi, sharply turning his head to glare at the Warlock he had kicked away who had quickly recovered. But before the Warlock could stand up-right and charge at him, the lead Warlock threw his wakizashi forward – the spinning blade collided with the Warlock’s chest moments later, ending him. In just moments, the execution squad was executed by their own leader.  
Slowly, he stood back up, turning to face Kathrina who flinched and stumbled back, staring over at him as she pointed her blade forward, unsure of what had just happened. She was breathing frantically, staring at the stag-masked Warlock, trying to work out why he had just so relentlessly slaughtered his own squad. She watched as he walked over to the dead Warlock and yanked his blade from the pile of crumbled stone, sheathing back into its hidden scabbard within his coat. He then looked back over at her, standing there… staring at her as she stared back.  
Still cautious and unsure, she frowned, ‘’who… what – ‘’  
Before she could ask her question, he started to lift his hands to his masked face. Kathrina stepped back, unsure of what to say or do; he had to be a Prince Warlock, he had taken down his subordinates so easily, and the fact that they hadn’t even tried to use magic on him made her believe even more that he was of this class. Magic didn’t work on Prince Warlocks, so if she was going to have to fight him, her only chance was her sword.  
However, something about him seemed… different – familiar even. The man before her was dressed like a Warlock, but there was something about him that was keeping her from attacking. She stared, watching as he pulled the stag mask from his head… and as she set her eyes on his revealed face, she felt her heart break a little.

His hair was jaw-length, white and tousled, a single lock unkempt, folding out from his fringe and falling over his face. His eyes shone a bright, shimmering mint-green in the sunlight, his cat-like pupils thinning as he stared at her. His skin was an unusually pale color, almost grey. He dropped the mask to the ground beneath him, and as he stared into Kathrina’s shimmering emerald eyes, he smiled, ‘’Kathrina’’ he said softly, starting to approach her, and as he reached her… ‘’I-‘’  
Smack!!! – Kathrina scowled evilly at him as he held his hand to his reddening left cheek after her hand collided with it. He stared down at her in complete shock and confusion, almost unable to believe that she had just slapped him.  
He frowned, struggling to find his voice as he stared at her furious face.  
Glaring up at him, Kathrina pouted, struggling to hold back the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. Her heart was racing, her emotions overwhelming her as she stared up at him. Was this real? Was he really standing in front of her? She so badly wanted it to be real, but part of her felt as though it was just a dream, a trick… an illusion? She had dreamt of Gahi not too long ago – it was possible that he had gotten into her head, and that could be what this was… another of Gahi’s tricks.  
She shook her head and stepped back, her hand trembling as she slowly pointed her sword at the man before her, ‘’y-you… you’re not real’’ she said, gritting her teeth in pain, ‘’you’re not real!’’  
He pouted slightly and dragged his hand over his cheek, ‘’since when can you slap something that is not real?’’ he grumbled, looking down at his hand as he pulled it from his face, making sure Kathrina’s harsh slap hadn’t caused him to bleed. He then sighed irritably and glanced back at the crumbled stone corpses of the other Warlocks, ‘’stupid fucking… shits’’ he grumbled, dragging his hand over his face again, ‘’koreha nante kotoda’’  
Confusion swallowed Kathrina as she stood there, trying to work out whether this was real or just an illusion. But he had a point – you couldn’t slap an illusion. She frowned, slightly lowering her sword as she stared at him; he dragged his hand over his reddened cheek once again, mumbling to himself in a language she couldn’t understand. But then, he sharply turned his head and looked at her – she pointed her sword back at him, scowling evilly.  
However, he sighed deeply and frowned in what looked like sadness, ‘’Kathrina, I – ‘’  
‘’How did you know I was here?’’ she growled, ‘’who sent you?!’’  
‘’What?’’ he frowned, ‘’no one sent me, I – ‘’  
As he moved closer to her, she backed off, ‘’don’t move another step!’’ she warned, ‘’I know this is just… just another of Gahi’s tricks!’’ she cried, tears starting to trickle down her face as she glared evilly at him.  
Staring over at her, he shook his head, ‘’I’m not a trick, and no one sent me, I – ‘’  
‘’Lies!’’ she yelled, ‘’you’re not here, you – ‘’  
He frowned, and before she could attack, he stepped forward, pulled her sword from her hand and pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her so tightly that she could barely breathe. Kathrina struggled for a few moments, but soon calmed down, his familiar embrace warming her. Could this really be him? Was this really real? Was this really…  
Kathrina pulled away from him, ‘’E… Elijah?’’ she asked, staring up at him.  
He smirked, ‘’yes’’ he answered.  
Relief replaced her feelings of worry and doubt – but as much as she wanted to believe him, she had to be sure. She frowned and backed off again; he reached out to grab her hand, but she smacked his wrist away and glared up at him, ‘’prove it!’’ she demanded, ‘’convince me you’re not just another one of Gahi’s illusions!’’  
Elijah frowned, ‘’I…’’ he paused and thought to himself for a few moments, but then looked back at Kathrina’s expectant face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two small emeralds, showing them to her as they sat in the palm of his hand, ‘’I left them for you to find so that you would know I was here’’ he said, ‘’I found you here just before the small Warlock group attacked. I was going to intervene, but I saw you had it under control, and I did not think it would be a good idea to reveal myself within that city’’ he explained, watching as the hostile glare started to fade from Kathrina’s face, ‘’I was already leading that pathetic execution squad as ordered by Gahi’’  
‘’To kill me?’’ she frowned.  
‘’That was not my intention, of course’’ he smirked, but she didn’t smile back. He frowned and looked around nervously, intimidated by her sceptical, evil scowl, ‘’uh… well, it was the perfect opportunity to leave, I guess’’  
Staring up at him, she frowned slightly, ‘’why now?’’ she questioned, ‘’why did you leave me alone for so long?’’ she sniffled, lowering her sword.  
He frowned in regret, ‘’I cannot explain how sorry I am’’ he started, moving closer to her, ‘’I did not want to leave you alone for as long as I did, but… I had to stay, I had to keep an eye on Gahi’’  
She stepped back as he moved to embrace her again, ‘’it… two years!’’ she cried, glaring at him again, ‘’you said soon! And you left me – for two years!’’  
‘’I wanted to follow you the day you left, but I – ‘’  
‘’What was stopping you?! You used to always talk about us running away, so why didn’t you run with me that day?! Why force me to leave alone?!’’  
He grabbed her wrist before she could back off even further, ‘’Kathrina, listen to me’’ he said, staring down into her eyes as he placed his hands on the side of her face, making her look up at him. He then frowned sadly, ‘’believe me, please… I wanted nothing more than to leave with you that day – I had planned to leave with you all along, but – ‘’  
‘’But what?’’ she pouted.  
‘’Gahi would have never stopped hunting us. We would have spent our entire lives running, and as Warlocks’’  
Slightly confused, Kathrina frowned, ‘’what do you mean?’’  
Still staring down at her, Elijah frowned, ‘’that does not matter right this moment, what matters is that you are here, and I am here… and I will never leave you again’’ he said sternly.  
Kathrina gazed up at him, nothing but relief filling her as she stared into his saddened eyes. She couldn’t help but smile; she had thought he was dead, she had thought that she’d never see him again, that she’d never hear his voice or feel his embrace again… but here he was. Although it still felt a little too good to be true, she was overwhelmed with happiness to see him.  
Smiling, she pulled free from him and looked down at the ground, ‘’ you… you’re staying with me?’’ she asked, slowly looking back up at him.  
Elijah nodded, ‘’from this point on, I will never leave your side – no matter what’’  
Her face turned slightly red as she looked down at her feet, ‘’but… what about Gahi? You said he’d never stop hunting us’’  
‘’We can talk about that later’’ he said quickly, pulling her closer, ‘’there… is something I must tell you’’ he said.  
She frowned, but then shook her head again, ‘’how… how did you know I was here?’’ she asked sceptically, still unable to shake the feeling that maybe… maybe this wasn’t real.  
But Elijah smiled slightly, ‘’I never stopped protecting you’’ he said quietly, ‘’even though I was not physically there at your side’’  
Slightly confused, she frowned, ‘’what do you mean? Were you… watching me?’’ she asked uncomfortably.  
‘’Uh… well’’ he said nervously, placing his hand on the back of his head, ‘’not… exactly watching’’  
Her confusion increased as she stared at him, ‘’huh?’’  
He then sighed and shook his head, ‘’I just made sure that nothing could hurt you while I was not here to protect you. Gahi sent us out after his previous group or Warlocks did not return, that is how the others knew of your location’’ he explained.  
She looked down at the ground and frowned –   
‘’I… I’m sorry’’ he said shamefully, ‘’I – ‘’  
‘’Stop saying that’’ Kathrina pouted, looking back up at him again, ‘’you say sorry too much’’  
‘’But – ‘’  
Kathrina shook her head, ‘’it’s… fine’’ she said, looking down at the ground again, ‘’I just… well… I thought I’d never see you again, you were gone for so long, and I – ‘’  
Elijah shook his head, ‘’no, I swore to you that you would see me again, and here I am’’ he smirked, ‘’and while we were apart, I learnt all I could about Gahi’’  
‘’So?’’ she frowned, ‘’what more is there to learn other than he’s a sadistic asshole?’’  
Keeping his smirk, Elijah folded his arms in front of him, ‘’he is weak right now, giving us the perfect opportunity to take him down’’  
She frowned, ‘’and that’s why you’re really here, huh? To tell me this?’’  
‘’Are you not relieved? We can finally get rid of him’’  
‘’I… am’’ she sighed, staring down at the ground, ‘’I just… you’ve been gone for so long, and it still feels too good to be true that you’re actually here right now – a part of me still feels like this is a dream’’  
He instantly pulled her into another tight hug, resting the side of his face on hers, ‘’this is not a dream, nor is it an illusion’’ he said quietly, ‘’I am really here, and I cannot explain how much I hate myself for taking so long to come back to you. I left you alone for so long, so long that I feared you would forget about me, so the moment I noticed Gahi’s weakness, I left to find you. Being away from you is so painful, it is something I cannot bear, and it is something I will not do again. Believe me when I say: from this moment, I will always be by your side’’  
‘’You said that before’’ she said sadly, ‘’and then you sent me away’’  
‘’It was the only way to protect you’’ he repeated, still holding onto her as she frowned, ready to break the embrace, but he clearly wasn’t. He tightened his grip on her and closed his eyes, gritting his teeth in pain, ‘’you mean more to me than my own life, you always have, and you always will – ‘’  
Confused by his words, Kathrina forcefully pulled away from him and frowned, ‘’what?’’ she asked strangely, ‘’I don’t… understand’’ she said, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment, realizing that Elijah seemed to be confessing feelings to her that she never knew he had.  
He frowned awkwardly, ‘’uh… I mean… I care about you’’ he said, frowning, struggling to find the right words. But then, he sighed, ‘’I wish I could tell you’’  
‘’What? Tell me what?’’ she asked curiously.  
Realizing he had said that out loud, he looked around unsurely, ‘’nothing’’ he sighed, ‘’I just… missed you’’  
She looked back down at the ground and smiled slightly, ‘’I missed you too’’

The pair stood there in a silence that grew more awkward by the second; Elijah gazed down at her as she looked around nervously, trying to think of something to say to him. But it had been so long since she had seen him, and she still felt as though there was something off about this reunited moment. She frowned and sighed, trying not to think too much about it. He really was there, he really was alive… and he was back with her.   
Nothing but happiness consumed her as she smiled and looked up at his expectant face, ‘’how long were you following me?’’ she asked, ‘’was that you I saw from my window this morning?’’  
Elijah smirked, ‘’yes’’ he answered, ‘’I was also watching you the previous night; the Werewolves – I was planning to kill them all, but then I saw you had things under control’’  
She scoffed, ‘’you know, you don’t always have to kill everything to solve a problem’’  
‘’And sometimes, killing is the only option’’  
Kathrina pouted, ‘’yeah, well, I ask questions first, unlike you’’  
‘’Asking questions is not necessary when I can find out anything I need to know about someone just by looking at them’’  
‘’Well, we can’t all peer into people’s thoughts, can we?’’ she grumbled.  
Elijah laughed slightly as he took her right hand in his, ‘’you are still the same stroppy little girl you were the last time we spoke’’ he smirked.  
‘’And you’re still the same rude, egotistical jerk’’ she pouted, glaring up at him.  
‘’Egotistical?’’ he frowned in offence as Kathrina pulled her hand back, ‘’I mean… I know I can be a jerk, but I’m not egotistical’’  
She scoffed again, ‘’you so are’’  
‘’Am not’’ he said sternly, looking away from her.  
‘’Are too’’  
He frowned and looked down at her, ‘’nan demo, at least I’m not a little girl’’ he smirked harshly.  
A look of utter disgust covered her face, ‘’what did you just say?!’’ she growled, stepping forward, ready to slap him again.  
He flinched in fear, ‘’uh… I… said… something… uh…’’ he stuttered, stepping back as her evil scowl grew scarier.  
But then, she sighed and smiled as she looked up at his petrified face. She then giggled, ‘’come on, let’s go’’ she said playfully, rushing past him.  
As she hurried away towards the forest on the other side of the river, trekking through the water, Elijah curiously followed. He smirked as she looked back at him, ‘’where are we going?’’ he asked, hurrying to catch up with her.  
She ran into the trees and looked back at him, ‘’catch me and I’ll tell you’’ she called playfully, disappearing into the forest.  
Elijah followed, smirking as he hurried into the forest. He raced forward, following her trail, focusing. He knew exactly where she was without having to look, but he didn’t want to ruin Kathrina’s idea of fun, so he went along with it. He stopped once he reached a small clearing, looking around slowly. He could hear her hushes snickers coming from behind a tree to his left, making him smile – she was still the same playful Kathrina he remembered.  
He turned his back on her actual location and stared into the trees ahead, ‘’Kathrina?’’ he called in confusion.  
Behind her tree, Kathrina giggled quietly, slowly peeking out from behind it. She glanced over at Elijah as he stood in the center of the clearing, looking around aimlessly for her. She leaned back against the tree and waited a few moments, but then peeked back around – but Elijah was gone. She frowned strangely, unable to see him anywhere. Had she really evaded him?  
Confused, she slowly turned back around and leaned back against the tree – she gasped in shock, Elijah instantly grabbing her wrists. He pinned them above her head against the tree and leaned his face into hers, ‘’found you’’ he smirked as she stared at him in complete surprise.  
But as he moved his face closer to hers, she frowned and pulled away, ‘’cheater’’ she pouted, walking away from him as he turned around and frowned over at her in confusion.  
‘’How did I cheat?’’ he asked, starting to follow her.  
She shrugged, ‘’you said you have a way of knowing where I am all the time’’ she said, slumping down on the grass against a tree.  
As he sat beside her, he shrugged, ‘’well, I have many ways of knowing where you are’’ he smirked, ‘’this time, the fact that you were giggling so loudly gave your location away’’  
She sharply turned her head and glared at him, ‘’whatever, you didn’t have to sneak up on me’’  
‘’Yes, I did’’ he smirked, looking down at her.  
‘’Whatever’’ she grumbled, staring up at the tree tops above, a light breeze flowing in through their leaves.

Elijah sighed as he gazed down at her, ‘’this is how I want it to be’’ he said as she slowly looked up at him, ‘’I want to be able to stop worrying about Gahi, about Warlocks’’  
‘’You said Gahi was weak’’ she recalled, ‘’what did you mean by that?’’  
‘’I meant exactly what I said: Gahi is weak, so weak right now that we have a perfect opportunity to get rid of him. But like I said, we can talk about that later. I just want to spend this moment with you’’  
She smiled slightly as she laid back down, staring up at the sky again, ‘’but… why did you not try to tell me you were alive?’’ she asked slowly, ‘’why did you think leaving me with the thought that you were dead would be better than telling me the truth?''  
He sighed and looked down at the grass, ‘’I had to be careful, I did not want any of the other Princes suspecting me of helping you escape. I needed to stay in the kingdom and watch Gahi. I knew he would do something sooner or later, something that would leave him as vulnerable as he is now, and I was waiting for that moment. Believe me, I wanted to find you sooner, but I could not risk being caught'' he explained.  
She frowned, ‘’let me guess: Luka had a hand in this?’’  
‘’Indeed’’ he confirmed, ‘’he, like me, knew that Gahi had to die, and if we waited long enough, a chance would come’’  
Kathrina sighed and stared down at the grass, ‘’why isn’t he here to help?’’  
‘’I’m not sure’’ he frowned, ‘’I have not heard from him since he left that day’’  
‘’He never contacted you?’’  
Elijah shook his head.  
‘’So… are you gonna tell me what’s going on with Gahi or not?’’ she asked impatiently, ‘’I wanna know now’’

Looking down at her, Elijah sighed, ‘’he is planning to open a Gateway; he wants to drain energy from another Realm, just as he did a few years ago’’  
‘’And… that’s why he’s weak right now?’’  
‘’He tried not too long ago – and failed. The magic backfired and has left him in a weakened state’’  
She frowned, ‘’so… why’s he so focused on trying to get me back to the Kingdom? Why isn’t he treating my escape like every other rogue Warlock case?’’  
Elijah frowned reluctantly, but as he looked down at her expectant face, he sighed, ‘’because he needs you, there is no other way to put it’’ he said, anger in his voice.  
‘’What?’’ she frowned, ‘’why?’’  
‘’I’m not completely sure. When we asked, he said he needed you to draw the protective magic within the Gateway out. He said there was something… special about your magic, something that this Gateway magic is attracted to’’  
Completely horrified, Kathrina stared up at him, ‘’b-but… why does he even want to open another Realm? What does he want this energy for?’’  
‘’Again, I’m not sure. I tried to read his thoughts, but I failed’’  
‘’Failed?’’  
He nodded, ‘’Gahi’s willpower is unlike any I have seen. I could not see into his mind by simply looking, and I could not risk trying to break through, I may have revealed myself’’ he explained.  
‘’So… all you know is that Gahi needs me to open this Realm thing?’’  
‘’Luka and I suspect that he wants the energy to empower himself. Luka discovered that Gahi has a superior, one we think he wants to try and overthrow. That man hungers for power the same way a Vampire hungers for blood’’  
‘’Why me?’’ she asked, trying to take in everything he was telling her.  
Elijah clenched his fist in anger, ‘’this was your purpose’’ he said, almost growling.  
‘’W-What?’’ she stuttered, ‘’my… purpose?’’  
‘’Gahi planned to use you for this from the very beginning and knowing that makes me want to gut him – but I cannot take him on alone’’ he admitted shamefully, ‘’I knew this, but I could not bring myself to tell you… because… well, I – ‘’  
Kathrina shuffled away and glared at him in complete anger, ‘’why would you keep something like that from me?!’’ she yelled, ‘’you knew all that time, but you didn't tell me?! You let him raise me like a lamb for slaughter?!’’  
He shook his head and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as she tried to pull away, ‘’I would have never let him touch you, you know that… right?’’ he asked in what seemed like panic.  
She frowned unsurely, staring at him as he stared at her.  
Still holding her hand, he frowned desperately, ‘’there were so many things I wanted to tell you, but I just… could not’’ he said shamefully, ‘’but I would have never let any harm come to you. Like I told you, you mean more to me than my own life, and everything I have done has been to protect you – I swear. I asked to be the one to train you, and then I freed you from Gahi’s control as soon as I could’’  
She shook her head in confusion, ‘’but… why?’’ she asked.  
‘’I – ‘’  
‘’Why would you care about me? You were a Prince; you didn’t know me, I was just another tool for Gahi to use so that he could become more powerful’’  
Staring down at her, he seemed to struggle for a few moments, frowning in confusion. But he soon frowned despondently, ‘’I just… there was something different about you. I knew that from the very first moment I saw you, I could… I – ‘’ he sighed irritably, ‘’I just… knew that you were different’’  
Kathrina the frowned sceptically, ‘’you’re hiding something’’ she said, ‘’what aren’t you telling me?’’  
He sharply turned his head and looked at her, ‘’uh… no, I’m not hiding anything, I’m just… trying to work out how to explain everything’’ he mumbled, ‘’listen to me: from the very beginning, I have never been on Gahi's side. I was waiting... for someone like you, someone to see the world the way I do. Warlocks are monsters and they need to be stopped’’ he said plainly, ‘’you and I... we are free, we cannot be controlled. Other Warlocks will never know our freedom so long as Gahi is around. If we stop him, every other Warlock goes down with him. If he dies, they will be free’’  
She thought to herself; it still seemed like he was keeping something from her, but what he had just said intrigued her more. She frowned and looked up at him, ‘’wait… if we kill Gahi, his control over all other Warlocks will be broken?’’ she asked in hope.  
Looking down at her, he nodded.  
‘’How do you know that?’’  
‘’I am a Prince, Kathrina’’ he smirked, ‘’we know all there is to know about Warlocks’’  
She frowned slightly, ‘’what about the other Princes? What about you?’’  
‘’All we have to do is kill Gahi, he is the sire of every Warlock in all of Central Alvenguard. If we kill the original sire, every Warlock he has ever created will be freed from his control’’  
Nodding slowly, she looked down at the grass, ‘’and… you really think we can kill him?’’  
He grabbed both of her hands in his, ‘’I know we can’’  
She then looked up at him and frowned, ‘’I… think we should ask for help’’ she said slowly. If there was one thing she knew about Elijah, it was that he hated asking for help, and he hated sharing glory. She was afraid that her suggestion was going to offend him, so she scowled at him, waiting for his answer.  
Elijah sighed hesitantly, ‘’help?’’ he asked doubtfully, ‘’we are Warlocks, Kathrina, not a soul in Alvenguard would help us’’  
‘’That’s what you think’’ she smirked, pulling her hands from his.  
As Kathrina stood up, he also stood up and frowned down at her in confusion, ‘’nani?’’  
‘’Come on, we should get back’’  
‘’Back where?’’ he asked, watching her start to walk back through the forest.  
She looked back at him as he started to follow, ‘’to the city, I have some people that might help us’’  
He quickly caught up to her and frowned strangely, ‘’who?’’ he asked protectively.   
‘’He’s called Tsunami, and he hates Gahi just as much as I do’’ she explained.  
Elijah pouted like a stubborn child, ‘’who is he?’’ he grumbled.  
‘’Well, you remember when Gahi destroyed that Realm?’’  
He nodded.  
‘’Well, Tsunami was from that Realm. He said he was pulled through into our world’’  
‘’A survivor?’’ Elijah frowned.  
She looked up at him, ‘’you don’t really seem all that surprised… you knew, didn’t you?’’  
‘’I did’’ he confirmed, staring ahead as they approached the edge of the forest, ‘’I was there’’  
She rolled her eyes, ‘’of course you were’’ she mumbled.  
‘’Gahi tried to draw power from the Realm in the same way he did not too long ago, but just like recently, he failed the first time. The Realm was ruptured and destroyed. But while the Gateway was open, someone was pulled through. Gahi told us to keep him alive, I do not know why though’’ he explained.  
‘’He doesn’t know why he was kept alive either, he thinks Gahi wanted to turn him into a Warlock. But he escaped’’  
As they reached the end of the forest, Elijah sighed, ‘’that he did – and Gahi sent us after him. We could not track him, though. He had some… odd aura protecting him’’

The pair stopped outside of the forest not too far from the river. As they did, Kathrina began to think to herself again, staring down at the stone ground. She frowned and looked up at Elijah who was already gazing down at her. She sighed slightly, ‘’how long have you wanted to kill Gahi?’’ she asked quietly, like she didn't believe what he had just explained to her.  
‘’A very long time’’ he instantly answered.  
‘’How long?’’  
‘’Before I became a Warlock’’  
‘’What?’’ she asked, confused.  
He frowned awkwardly, ‘’there uh… are some things that I’m yet to tell you, but… well…’’  
Before he could finish his sentence – ‘’Kathrina!’’ called Tsunami’s unmistakable.  
‘’Tsunami’’ she said quietly. She began to walk forward, but as she looked back for Elijah, he was no where to be seen. She frowned, reaching Tsunami who stared at her.  
‘’There you are’’ he said in relief, looking over at the crumbled stone Warlock corpses, ‘’what the hell happened?’’ he asked.  
She looked around for Elijah, panic and confusion overwhelming her every second she was unable to locate him. But then she remembered just how sceptical Elijah was, so she sighed and looked back at Tsunami, ‘’nothing I couldn’t handle’’ she grumbled, ‘’what are you doing here anyway? I told you I wanted to be alone’’  
‘’I came to see if you were alright’’ he shrugged, ‘’you were gone quite a while… and now I see why’’ he frowned, looking back over at the dead Warlocks. He then frowned as he watched her looking back over her shoulder, ‘’what are you looking at? Were there more?’’  
She sharply turned her head and looked back at him, ‘’nothing’’ she lied.  
But then, Elijah moved out from the cover of the trees, approaching Kathrina –   
‘’Warlock!’’ Tsunami yelled as he pointed his sword at him, ‘’behind you!’’  
Instead of flinching in fear, Kathrina stood in front of Tsunami defensively. He slowly lowered his sword as he stared at her in confusion. He eyed Elijah evilly as he stood beside Kathrina, raising his left eyebrow as he glared at Tsunami with a look of disgust in his eyes.  
‘’That's... that's a Warlock’’ he said, pointing his blade at Elijah who smirked smugly.  
Kathrina sighed and buried her face in the palm of her hand, ‘’you’re an idiot’’ she grumbled.  
‘’Eh?’’ Tsunami frowned.  
‘’I gather this… delinquent… is Tsunami?’’ Elijah asked harshly, looking down at Kathrina.  
‘’Who the heck is this?!’’ Tsunami growled.  
Looking back at Tsunami, Kathrina smiled slightly, ‘’Tsunami… this is Elijah’’


	9. The Prince

Tsunami shook his head and frowned in confusion as he stared down at Kathrina. He then scowled and looked over at the man standing beside her, feelings of anger, doubt, suspicion and hostility filling him, intensifying with every moment he spent glaring at him. This… was Elijah? The Elijah that Kathrina spoke of? Tsunami gritted his teeth in anger; the Warlock beside Kathrina was taller than them both, undeniably making Tsunami feel belittled. He had a strange aura to him too and an ominous, evil look on his pale face, something that made Tsunami instantly suspect that he wasn’t who or what Kathrina clearly thought.  
Placing his hand over the hilt of his sword as it sat in its sheath, Tsunami glared at Elijah as he glared back, an intense hostility heating the air around them. Then, as Elijah placed his hand on the hilt of his own sword, Tsunami took a step back, ready to attack if need be. But his eyes soon wandered from Elijah’s evil face to his sword; Tsunami frowned, noticing that the sword at Elijah’s side was rather unique. The scabbard was curved, so the blade within had to be curved too – much like Logan’s swords. But why did Elijah only have one where Logan had two? Tsunami didn’t know much about these strange curved swords, but he knew how skilled Logan was with them, and it made him think that perhaps Elijah was just as skilled.  
But then, Elijah pulled his coat to conceal his sword and glared at Tsunami, ‘’what the hell are you staring at?’’ he growled.  
‘’Your sword’’ Tsunami said plainly, glancing over at Kathrina who had a disapproving look on her face, ‘’first time me seeing a Warlock carrying one like that’’  
Elijah then smirked, ‘’that is because I am no ordinary Warlock’’  
Scoffing, Tsunami rolled his eyes, ‘’all Warlocks are the same, some just put up a stronger fight than others’’  
Kathrina went to step forward, expecting Elijah to act aggressively towards Tsunami for his remark, but Elijah shrugged.  
‘’True’’ he agreed rather calmly, ‘’Warlocks are not as smart nor as deadly as some make them out to be’’  
He scoffed again, ‘’why do you say that with such a smug look?’’ he scowled.  
Instead of answering, Elijah just smirked.  
Tsunami sighed irritably and looked over at Kathrina, ‘’I thought he was dead?’’  
‘’You were hoping I was dead’’ Elijah interjected before Kathrina could say anything to Tsunami.  
‘’What’s that supposed to mean?!’’ Tsunami growled, glaring back at him.  
Before Elijah could reply, Kathrina stood between them both and sighed loudly, ‘’let’s not start anything here’’ she grumbled, glaring at them both, ‘’Elijah’s alive, he’s here – and we have a plan’’ she said sternly, looking at Tsunami.  
‘’Plan?’’ he frowned, looking down at her, ‘’and hold on – ‘’ he frowned and glared at Elijah again, ‘’ – if you were alive all this time, why’d you never contact her?!’’ he asked sceptically.  
‘’I have already explained myself to Kathrina, I have no obligation nor interest in doing so to you’’ Elijah said rudely, taking his eyes off Tsunami to gaze down at Kathrina.  
With his anger and impatience growing, Tsunami looked back at Kathrina, ‘’whatever – the General’s looking for you by the way, he wants you to ‘pay up’’’ he said, twitching his fingers to imitate inverse commas.  
Elijah instantly gained a protective look, standing in front of Kathrina before she could answer Tsunami, ‘’pay for what?’’ he asked sceptically, glaring at Tsunami.  
‘’None of your damn business’’ Tsunami growled, glaring at him.  
‘’Elijah, it’s fine’’ Kathrina sighed, nudging him away, ‘’I agreed to share what I know about the Warlocks to the Humans in the city I’m staying in’’  
Looking down at her, he frowned, ‘’and what are they giving you in return?’’  
‘’They’re letting me stay there’’ she shrugged, looking back at Tsunami.  
‘’He gotta know everything or what?’’ Tsunami grumbled, glaring at Elijah from the corner of his eye.  
Kathrina frowned defensively, ‘’he’s my friend, and he’s gonna be helping us, so yeah, he gets to know everything’’ she said sternly before Elijah could reply in her place.  
‘’Him? Helping us?’’ Tsunami scoffed, eying Elijah with disgust, ‘’I’d rather make out with Oswold than work with this… thing’’ he sneered.  
Humored by Tsunami’s words, Kathrina giggled as Elijah frowned in confusion and frustration. But as Elijah looked to her for an explanation, she sighed, ‘’look’’ she said, looking at Tsunami, ‘’Elijah’s a Prince – the strongest ranking Warlock class below Gahi, and he also knows things about that deranged man that I don’t’’ she convinced.  
‘’What could he know that we don’t?’’ Tsunami asked bitterly.  
‘’The reason I have not been with Kathrina the last two years is because I was watching Gahi’’ Elijah started, sighing lazily, ‘’right now, he is weak, distracted and there is no better time to strike’’  
Kathrina nodded, ‘’us three, and anyone else you think could help, will travel to the Warlock Kingdom and take Gahi down!’’ she said enthusiastically.  
Slight hope filled Tsunami as he looked over at Elijah who nodded. But then, Tsunami frowned sceptically, ‘’weak how?’’ he questioned, ‘’what makes this such a perfect time to attack?’’  
‘’Let’s go back’’ Kathrina said insistently, ‘’we can talk about it – ‘’  
Tsunami stopped her in her tracks, ‘’are you crazy?’’ he asked quietly, ‘’we can’t bring him back with us, he’s a Warlock – and a Damn Prince at that! We should just leave him here and return alone’’  
Elijah frowned evilly, ‘’I can hear you, I’m standing right here’’  
‘’I don’t care’’ Tsunami growled, glaring at him.  
Sighing again, Kathrina shoved Tsunami out of her way, ‘’either he comes back with us, or I leave with him – simple’’  
Pain and hesitation instantly covered Tsunami’s face, and as he noticed a snide smirk on Elijah’s face, he growled in frustration, ‘’why the heck does he even wanna help?’’ he grumbled.  
She looked up at Elijah, an expectant look on her face.  
Elijah sighed and glared at Tsunami again, ‘’that man has done multiple things to deserve my desire to kill him’’ he said slowly, ‘’but all that matters is the fact that I want to kill him’’  
‘’Seriously?’’ Tsunami scoffed, ‘’why should I believe you? Saying you want to kill him and giving no reason as to why just makes me doubt you even more’’  
Scowling evilly, Elijah gritted his teeth in anger, ‘’he took my life from me just as he did with every other Warlock. Not only that, but he made me send Kathrina away – ‘’  
‘’Gahi didn’t make you do that; you could have gone with her or defended her, but you sent her away to save yourself!’’  
‘’What the hell is wrong with you?!’’ Kathrina growled as she glared at Tsunami, stopping Elijah from throwing himself at him, ‘’what he did protected us both!’’ she insisted.  
He shook his head and pointed at Elijah who was clearly trying to keep himself from pushing Kathrina aside to attack, ‘’he’s a liar, I can tell just by looking at him!’’ Tsunami insisted, ‘’he’s clearly hiding something from us!’’  
‘’From you – yes’’ Elijah scowled, ‘’from Kathrina? No’’  
‘’See?!’’ Tsunami yelled, glaring at Elijah, ‘’we’re heading back now – alone’’ he demanded, reaching out to grab Kathrina’s hand –  
Before he could reach her, Elijah pulled Kathrina back away from Tsunami. As Kathrina gasped and grunted in confusion, Elijah pulled her behind him and glared at Tsunami, ‘’keep your filthy hands off her!’’ he growled, gritting his teeth.  
Tsunami went to speak, but he frowned as he stared at Elijah’s evil face, noticing something unsettling -  
‘’Can you two just stop arguing?!’’ Kathrina then growled, pushing Elijah aside, glaring up at him and then Tsunami, ‘’we need to work together!’’  
Forgetting about what he had seen, Tsunami scoffed and crossed his arms, ‘’me? Work with him?’’ he said stubbornly, looking away, ‘’hmph’’  
Elijah snarled irritably and also looked away, crossing his arms like a stubborn child, ‘’I would rather not stoop so low as to work with this… peasant’’  
Offended, Tsunami sharply turned his head and glared at Elijah who grinned cruelly at him. But before they could lynch one another, Kathrina stood between them, grabbing their shirt collars. She pulled their faces into hers and glared at them both, ‘’what… did I just say?’’ she growled, her eyes glowing with an ominous anger that made the pair gulp and frown in fear.  
‘’Uh… we uh… you said… we should stop arguing?’’ Tsunami stuttered.  
Elijah nodded as Kathrina glared into his eyes, ‘’we uh… should work together’’ he said with a nervous smile, ‘’after all, wherever you go, I go’’ he added.  
She slowly loosened her grip on their collars and pouted, ‘’if I catch you arguing again, I’ll scold you both’’ she warned, ‘’understand?!’’ she asked, glaring at them both again.  
They stopped glaring at one another, straightened up and nodded.  
Eying them both, she tapped her foot on the ground, trying to decide whether she believed them or not. But there really wasn’t time to stand in the valley arguing; the sooner they came up with a plan to kill Gahi, the better. Not just that, but the general was awaiting Kathrina’s intel. She sighed and started walking forward, ‘’let’s get a damn move on’’ she grumbled.  
Tsunami and Elijah sharply turned their heads and glared at one another again –   
‘’Don’t make me tell you twice!’’ Kathrina yelled, heading back towards the city.  
Instantly, the pair hurried to follow her.

The three walked in silence, heading towards Niagraad. Throughout the journey, Elijah and Tsunami occasionally glanced at one another, the intense hostility still raging between them. But every time Kathrina looked back over her shoulder at them, they both smiled and looked away from one another, acting as if they weren’t both thinking of murdering one another.  
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Tsunami sighed and caught up with Kathrina, walking on her left. At the same time, Elijah caught up and walked on her right, glaring at Tsunami.  
‘’You know he can’t come into the city, right?’’ Tsunami asked, glancing at Elijah, ‘’this guy has ‘edgy Warlock’ written all over him’’ he smirked, watching an offended look appear on Elijah’s pale face.  
‘’Make one more remark, you piece of – ‘’  
Kathrina smacked Elijah’s hand away as he pointed at Tsunami, ‘’I can just tell them that he’s on our side’’ she shrugged.  
Tsunami shook his head in refusal, ‘’he’s a Prince, there’s no way they’ll believe it – he won’t even get past the guards’’  
‘’Guards?’’ Elijah scoffed, ‘’it would not be the first time I got past their useless – ‘’  
Stopping in her tracks, Kathrina turned around and glared at them both again, ‘’I can’t even decide right now which one of you is worse’’ she scowled.  
They both pointed at one another –   
‘’He is!’’ Elijah insisted.  
‘’Him!’’ Tsunami yelled.  
Kathrina sighed irritably and continued leading the way, the walls of the city coming into view in the distance.  
Tsunami sharply turned his head and glared at Elijah, ‘’I don’t like you!’’ he growled quietly.  
‘’And I hate you!’’ Elijah snarled.  
‘’Good!’’ Tsunami scoffed.  
‘’Perfect!’’ Elijah hissed.  
‘’Amazing!’’  
‘’Great!’’  
‘’Excellent!’’   
They both stopped, grabbing each other’s collars, glaring into one another’s eyes, their faces just inches apart.  
‘’Keep talking you shit!’’ Elijah growled, ‘’I will tear that smug look from your face in moments!’’  
‘’And I’ll shut that foul mouth of yours before you can blink!’’ Tsunami growled back.  
‘’Ha!’’ Elijah scoffed, ‘’you would be dead before you even think about making a move!’’  
‘’Me?! You’re probably slower than a demented blood fiend!’’  
‘’At least I do not look like one!’’  
‘’Hey! You take that back you edgy knob-jockey!’’  
Elijah then struggled to hold back laughter, ‘’the fuck kind of accent is that?’’  
‘’I could ask you the same thing, asshole!’’  
‘’Bitch!’’  
‘’Cunt!’’  
‘’Why you – ‘’  
‘’Can you two JUST STOP???!!!’’ Kathrina yelled at the top of her voice.  
Elijah and Tsunami fell silent, sharply turning their heads to look down at Kathrina. She was standing a few feet away, an irritated, angered glare on her face as she glowered at them both. They slowly turned their heads and glared at each other again, but gradually loosened the grip they had on each other’s shirts.  
Tsunami then sighed irritably and looked over at Kathrina, ‘’he still can’t come into the city – he can wait outside’’ he sneered, glancing over at Elijah.  
‘’No one’s waiting outside!’’ Kathrina growled, her patience having completely withered.  
‘’If anyone should wait outside, it should be this dog!’’ Elijah snapped, pointing at Tsunami –   
‘’Enough!’’ Kathrina yelled, pointing at them both, ‘’either you both shut up right now, or I’ll kick both your asses!’’  
They looked at each other slowly.  
Elijah frowned unsurely, ‘’she is not joking’’ he mumbled with concern.  
Frowning in confusion, Tsunami gulped, ‘’she uh… she’s not?’’  
Shaking his head, Elijah slowly looked back at Kathrina who was glowering evilly at them both.  
Tsunami then inhaled deeply and smiled, ‘’alright, let’s head back home!’’ he announced enthusiastically, walking past Kathrina, leading the way forward.

Kathrina looked back at Elijah who smirked at her; she rolled her eyes and started following Tsunami, Elijah hurrying to walk beside her.  
Leading the way, Tsunami grumbled quietly. A sour look clung to his face, his anger growing every time he glanced back at Kathrina’s companion. He wasn’t at all happy with the idea of Elijah coming back with them – he wasn’t exactly happy with the fact that Elijah was even there. Tsunami had thought that he was dead, especially after everything Kathrina had told him. But there he was… and something about his appearance was unsettling Tsunami. Why now, of all times, would he show up?  
Tsunami frowned sceptically, looking ahead at the gate as he led the way towards it. He felt as though Elijah was up to something, like he had ulterior motives. But right now, he had no solid evidence; he frowned in determination – he was going to prove he was right, he was going to expose Elijah’s lies. He cared greatly for Kathrina and the last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt by someone like Elijah, so he was going to do all he could to remove that poison from her life.  
Reaching the city gates, Tsunami sighed and turned around, ‘’so, what’s the plan?’’ he asked, glancing back at the guards. Since the Warlock attack yesterday, Oswold had put a lot more guards atop and along the walls, and there was no way Elijah was going to get through without his identity as a Warlock being revealed. The fact that he had a smug smirk on his face made Tsunami believe he had a plan, so he frowned and waited for the rude jerk of a Warlock to speak.  
But then, Elijah scoffed, ‘’walls this tall are nothing but a waste of time’’ he said, raising his left eyebrow as he glared up at the walls, ‘’some Warlocks I know could crush them with a simple clasp of their fist’’ he grinned, clasping his own right fist shut as he held it towards Tsunami.  
Kathrina sighed and grabbed Elijah’s wrist, lowering his arm, ‘’what do you supposed we do?’’ she asked, noticing the increased security.  
He shrugged, ‘’you already know what I’d rather have happen’’ he said, scowling at Elijah who glowered back at him.  
Before Kathrina could yell at Tsunami, Elijah shrugged, ‘’I see knowledge in his choice’’ he said simply, ‘’I shall wait here’’  
Kathrina frowned strangely, ‘’what?’’  
‘’Yeah… what?’’ Tsunami frowned in surprise.  
Elijah looked down at Kathrina and smirked slyly, ‘’do not worry, you will see me again’’  
Scoffing, Tsunami rolled his eyes, ‘’I hope you like the cold, I heard it’s supposed to rain later’’ he said harshly, ‘’come on, let’s go’’  
‘’Are you really just gonna stay out here?’’ Kathrina frowned as Tsunami waited for her to leave with him.  
Nodding, Elijah looked around, ‘’I’m sure I will be fine’’ he smiled, looking down at her.  
She frowned strangely, but nodded slowly and started to follow Tsunami, leaving Elijah alone outside the city gates.

As the pair entered the city gates, Kathrina glanced back over her shoulder, but Elijah wasn’t standing where he had just been. She frowned and looked over at Tsunami as she walked towards the town square with him.  
She sighed, ‘’what’s your problem with him? You haven’t even known him five minutes’’ she pouted.  
Tsunami pouted, ‘’I hate his face’’ he grumbled, ‘’and his aura – there’s some kind of darkness – no… some kind of evil to it’’  
Kathrina scoffed, ‘’seriously? Just because he looked at you funny you think he’s our enemy?’’ she frowned, following him up towards the path that led to the Seer fort.  
‘’Not just that’’ he grumbled, ‘’I hate how he just shows up here after leaving you for two years’’  
‘’He had his reasons’’  
‘’Why are you defending him?’’ Tsunami groaned, approaching the fort’s courtyard, ‘’I saw how pained you were by it all, I could tell he broke your heart – ‘’  
She scoffed, ‘’don’t talk about this like you know what you’re talking about’’  
Tsunami stopped in his tracks and scoffed in offence, ‘’wow’’ he said, ‘’you think I don’t get it?’’  
‘’You don’t’’ she said, glaring up at him, ‘’all you know is what I’ve told you, and I haven’t told you everything’’  
He scoffed once again, unable to believe what she was saying, ‘’why’re you acting so differently all of a sudden?’’ he then asked.  
‘’I’m not acting differently, I’m just… I don’t get why you’re acting differently. Elijah’s someone I trust – with my life’’ she said sternly, ‘’and the fact is: he didn’t have to come back for me, he didn’t have to stay behind either and risk his life to find out what he’s come to us with. He’s come back to me, and he’s brought us a chance to defeat Gahi. Don’t you want that?’’ she asked, looking up at him as he frowned in confliction.  
He sighed and looked down at the muddy ground, ‘’I do’’ he mumbled, ‘’but… there’s just something about him that makes me… I dunno’’ he sighed again, dragging his hand over the back of his neck, ‘’something just seems off about him. I don’t get how it takes two years either – ‘’  
‘’Tsunami, just stop talking about him’’ she requested, starting to walk through the courtyard.  
‘’Why can’t you see what I see?’’ he asked desperately as they entered the fort, ‘’you need to think: what is the real reason he’s come back after so long?’’  
She stopped and sharply turned her head, glaring up at him, ‘’I said stop!’’ she growled, clear distress in her voice.  
He could tell that he was distressing her, and he felt awful for it. He sighed and nodded, ‘’yeah, I’m sorry. If you trust him, then fine, I’ll try to trust him too’’  
‘’Really?’’ she smiled.  
Tsunami nodded, ‘’yeah, I’ll try – oh, and don’t forget that the General wants to speak to you’’  
Kathrina sighed irritably as they walked up the stairs, ‘’ugh, yeah, I know’’  
‘’Anyway, I gotta grab something for Oswold, so I’ll find you soon, alright?’’ he said as they reached the top of the stairs.  
She nodded, and as Tsunami left towards his own room, she sighed quietly. As much as she trusted Elijah, she couldn’t help but question his motives after what Tsunami had said. But she didn’t want to think about it; what mattered right now was that Elijah was back, and he was alive. She shook her head and walked towards the door to her own room. Reaching it, she pushed it open and walked inside, almost slamming it shut behind her.

As she entered her room, she dragged herself over to her bed and slumped down. But as she sat there, a cold breeze raced past her, making her shiver slightly. She frowned and looked over at the window to her right, seeing that it was wide open – she hadn’t left it like that, had she?  
But she didn’t think too much of it. She sighed and stood up, pulling it shut. But as the lock clicked, faint footsteps came from behind her – she swung around, but before she could comprehend what was happening, she was gently pushed back against the wall. As he back hit the wall, she gasped and stared into Elijah’s unmistakable green eyes as he stared back, a sly smirk sliding across his face.  
‘’W-What are you doing?’’ she breathed in both shock and confusion.  
With his left hand on her shoulder and his right against the wall above her, he sighed and lost his smirk, ‘’I missed you’’ he said quietly, sadness in his voice, ‘’so much’’  
She stared at him as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers, ‘’every day I spent without you was a constant hell’’ he sighed, ‘’without you, I felt worthless, like I had no purpose. There were times where I thought I would never see you again, and times where I felt as though you would forget me again. I feared I would lose you, and it killed me to think these things’’  
Kathrina frowned in confusion, ‘’wait, you said – ‘’  
‘’I need you’’ he interjected, opening his eyes to stare into hers again, ‘’I feel as though I cannot spend another moment apart from you’’  
Still confused, she frowned unsurely, ‘’why are you tell me all of this?’’ she asked, ‘’what… what do you even mean?’’  
Elijah frowned and went to answer –  
‘’Wait’’ Kathrina interrupted, ‘’I… need to ask you something’’  
He sighed and smiled, ‘’anything’’  
She didn’t hold back – ‘’why are you really here?’’ she asked, and as she did, she felt him tighten his grip on her shoulder, closing his eyes once again.  
‘’I have never lied to you, mai rabu’’ he said quietly, ‘’I truly am here because I have found a way for us to rid our lives of both Gahi and Lucious-kinus’’  
‘’And?’’ she asked expectantly.  
He opened his eyes and stared into hers, ‘’and because I could not live another moment without you at my side’’ he admitted, ‘’I… had to see you again’’  
Content with his answer, she smiled, ‘’I believe you’’  
Then, he smirked, ‘’what about you?’’ he asked.  
She scoffed, her face turning slightly red, ‘’what about me?’’ she asked, pushing him aside. She wandered over to her bed and sat down, looking over at him as he leaned back against the wall, ‘’I’ve just been doing stuff to preoccupy myself’’  
‘’Ma, hontoni?’’ he asked, making her frown, ‘’what is with this… Tsunami?’’ he asked sceptically.  
Kathrina grumbled and rolled her eyes, ‘’what about him?’’  
‘’One would think he was in love with you’’  
She looked over at him and frowned, ‘’are you… jealous?’’ she asked, almost amused.  
He scoffed and looked away, ‘’no’’ he denied, but then looked back over at her, ‘’I just want to know whether you share the same kind of feelings towards him as he does towards you’’  
‘’Heck no’’ she instantly denied, ‘’he’s just a friend – why?’’  
His smirk returned, and as it did, he made his way over to her. He then leaned forward, moving his face into hers as he rested his hands down on the bed beside her, ‘’because I was curious as to whether I would need to kill him or not’’ he said quietly.  
Staring into his eyes, Kathrina felt slightly unsettled, a clear intent to harm within them. Would he really kill Tsunami if she had feelings for him? Not that she did, but to think that Elijah would do something like that over something so small… why did he seem so possessive of her? It wasn’t like she was with him – they were never together, so why was he acting like they were?  
She frowned slightly, ‘’why would you wanna kill him?’’  
Still smirking, he pushed her down on to her back and stared into her eyes, his face just inches from hers, ‘’because you are mine’’ he declared, ‘’and if anyone so much as thinks of touching you in any way, I will gut them’’  
‘’I’m… what?’’ she asked, starting to feel strangely okay with what was happening.  
‘’Mine’’ Elijah repeated, his eyes drifting down to her neck, ‘’you belong to me’’  
Kathrina frowned again as he moved his face towards her neck – what was he talking about? Did he think he owned her just because she was assigned to work for him back in the Warlock Kingdom? Is that what this was? Anger began to build up within her – she didn’t belong to anyone, she wasn’t anyone’s property, and if that was what Elijah thought of her as, then she wanted nothing to do with him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, ready to push him away –   
But then, he frowned and moved his hand to the right side of her neck, pulling down her collar to reveal her shoulder, ‘’what happened?’’ he asked, clear panic in his voice as he stared at the faint scar left by the Werewolf from the previous night. There was dry, tacky blood covering her shoulder and robes from where she hadn’t taken the time to clean it yet, and Elijah was more focused on that than the actual wound.  
She sighed, ‘’nothing, just an annoying Werewolf – I’m fine’’ she said, waiting for him to move away, but he didn’t.  
Elijah slowly dragged his thumb over her shoulder, staring intensely at the blood as it smudged across her skin –  
‘’Elijah?’’ Kathrina asked in confusion, ‘’what’re you doing?’’  
He sighed quietly into her ear, ‘’I… ‘’ he frowned and stared down at her neck, a conflicted look on his face, ‘’I should have told you so long ago, and I feel as though I should tell you now – tomorrow is never promised’’ he said, changing the subject once again.  
‘’What are you talking about?’’ she frowned, ‘’tell me what?’’  
‘’I just… I do not want you to love anyone else, I do not want to lose you to someone else’’ he said slowly, ‘’I feel so possessive of you, so protective’’  
Kathrina stared up at the ceiling, moving her left hand from his shoulder, dragging her fingers through his hair, ‘’because… you have… feelings?’’ she guessed, ‘’the type you think Tsunami has?’’  
He moved his face from her neck and stared into her eyes again, ‘’something like that’’ he said unsurely.  
She stared up at him, unsure what to say next. But as he started to move his face closer to hers, Kathrina frowned, ‘’uh… Elijah’’  
Elijah stopped and frowned, ‘’what?’’  
‘’Your uh… sword… it’s digging into my leg’’ she said.  
Instantly, as a look of pure embarrassment covered his face, Elijah gritted his teeth and cringed. Then, he abruptly pulled away from her, moved from over her and stood with his back to her, his face still covered in both frustration and embarrassment.  
Confused, Kathrina sat up and stared over at him, ‘’what’s wrong?’’ she asked, leaning to her side, trying to look at his face.  
He turned, keeping his back to her, ‘’nothing’’ he mumbled.

Kathrina sighed and shrugged, ‘’well, before we meet with Tsunami, maybe you should tell me what you found out?’’ she suggested, changing the subject.  
Looking back over his shoulder at her, he frowned slightly, ‘’there is not really much else to tell other than what I already told you’’ he said.  
‘’What about this magic that you said Gahi was trying to drain? Is that important?’’ she asked curiously.  
Slowly, he turned around and leaned back against the wall, ‘’it is’’ he sighed, ‘’I think he called it the Void or something – some ancient power’’  
‘’Ancient?’’  
He nodded, ‘’I do not know very much about it though’’  
She sighed and looked down at her lap, ‘’well… there is this really weird old man here that seems to know a lot of stuff. Tsunami said this guy knows pretty much anything, so maybe we should ask him?’’  
Elijah raised his left eyebrow slightly, ‘’weird… old… man?’’ he asked strangely, ‘’what makes him weird?’’  
Kathrina laughed slightly, ‘’you’ll see when you meet him’’  
‘’I’m not sure if I even want to meet him’’ he grumbled, looking over at the window, ‘’I’m sure he does not know any more than I do’’  
‘’Stop getting jealous, Elijah’’ Kathrina frowned, ‘’there’s always gonna be someone smarter than you, and someone stronger – you told me that yourself like… a few years ago’’ she pouted.  
He shrugged and looked over at her, ‘’I still think I am smarter’’  
‘’Wait until you meet him to say that’’ she smirked, ‘’come on, let’s go find him’’ she said, pointing over at the door as she stood up.  
Nodding, Elijah started walking over to the door, but just as he reached it, it swung open –   
‘’Yahh!!’’ Tsunami yelled – splash!!! – ‘’what the – ‘’  
‘’Your moronic piece of shit!’’ Elijah yelled, grabbing Tsunami’s shirt, pulling him into the room.  
‘’What happened?!’’ Kathrina called, rushing over to them. She looked around frantically as Elijah pinned Tsunami back against the wall – Tsunami grunted and struggled, dropping a glass to the floor. Kathrina grabbed Elijah’s arm as the glass smashed on the floor below, ‘’let go of him!’’ she insisted, but as she pulled on his arm, she noticed that whatever had been in the glass had splashed onto Elijah’s coat and shirt.  
Elijah eventually let Tsunami go, but Tsunami wasn’t going to just let him get away with that. Tsunami reached out to grab Elijah’s coat, but Kathrina stood between them and scowled in disapproval.   
‘’Watch where the fuck you are going!’’ Elijah yelled, pointing at Tsunami.  
‘’You should watch where you’re going!’’ Tsunami yelled back, ‘’and it was an accident!’’ he insisted as he watched Elijah look down at his soaked coat and shirt.  
‘’Why were you even carrying a glass around?’’ Kathrina asked.  
Tsunami shrugged, ‘’I thought you might want some water’’  
‘’If she wanted it, she would have asked you, you moron’’ Elijah called, pulling off his coat, and as he chucked it onto the bed, he glared at Tsunami.  
‘’You’re so damn rude’’ Tsunami growled.  
‘’Bite me’’ Elijah snarled.  
Kathrina sighed and shook her head, ‘’let’s not get into this – again!’’ she growled, glaring up at Elijah. He looked down at her and pouted, but then pulled his shirt off over his head, throwing it atop his coat. Then, as he looked back at Kathrina, she couldn’t help but stare at his muscular body.  
‘’Is that even necessary?’’ Tsunami scoffed, ‘’it’s just some damn water, and the last thing I wanna see is… that’’ he grumbled, waving his hand towards Elijah.  
Scoffing, Elijah looked over at him and crossed his arms, ‘’you have a problem with just about anything I do, do you not?’’  
‘’I do!’’ Tsunami growled, ‘’your face pisses me off’’  
Smirking, Elijah looked down at Kathrina, ‘’do you have a problem with me?’’ he asked slyly.  
Her face turned bright red as she looked away, ‘’I-I… go get him a shirt’’ she pouted, looking over at Tsunami.  
But then, Tsunami shook his head, ‘’hold on, what the hell are you even doing here?’’ he asked.  
‘’Did you really think I was going to wait outside?’’ Elijah scoffed.  
Shaking his head, Tsunami looked over at Kathrina, ‘’get him the hell outta here!’’ he insisted, ‘’are you so stupid as to let him – ‘’  
Tsunami was silenced as Elijah forced him back against the wall once again, holding his wakizashi to his throat, ‘’I have had jut about enough of you’’ Elijah growled aggressively, glaring into Tsunami’s panicked eyes.  
Panicking, Tsunami looked down at the blade, but then stared at the four fangs within Elijah’s mouth as he gritted his teeth, the same fangs he had noticed earlier when they were down in the valley. Tsunami had never seen anything like it and it made him wonder… what the hell was he?  
‘’I could kill you – right here, right now… but Kathrina cares about you – ‘’ he said, glancing back at Kathrina who had moved to try and stop him, but stopped when she saw that he wasn’t intending to kill Tsunami. Then, he looked back at Tsunami and scowled, ‘’get this through your thick fucking skull: I’m not an enemy, I do NOT serve Gahi, I serve my damn self. I’m here for Kathrina, to assist her in killing that shit Gahi, and once that is done, I will never have to see your ugly face again for I shall leave with Kathrina to a place far, far away from the likes of you!’’ he snarled.  
‘’Elijah, let him go’’ Kathrina frowned.  
But he didn’t listen. He glared into Tsunami’s eyes and snarled, ‘’do you understand?’’ he asked.  
Scowling, Tsunami nodded, ‘’yeah, I get it’’  
‘’If you accuse me of having any ulterior motives again, I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand’’ Elijah warned before letting go of Tsunami.  
Tsunami frowned – how did Elijah know what he had tried to convince Kathrina?  
Stepping back, Elijah continued to glare at Tsunami; he sheathed his wakizashi and looked down at Kathrina, ‘’where is this Opus?’’ he asked, crossing his arms in front of him.  
She shyly looked up at him, ‘’um… he, uh…’’ she frowned, her eyes drifting down from his face –  
‘’Ugh’’ Tsunami grumbled, rolling his eyes, ‘’why do you wanna know where Opus is?’’ he asked.  
‘’There’s something I think he might know stuff about’’ Kathrina said, looking over at Tsunami, glancing at Elijah again.  
Looking down at her, Elijah smirked, but then looked over at Tsunami, ‘’there is an ancient magic known as ‘the Void’, something that Gahi is planning to steal. Kathrina thinks that this Opus will know about it’’ he explained.  
Kathrina nodded, managing to take her eyes off Elijah for longer than a second, ‘’he seems to know a lot about Warlocks, so maybe he’ll know what this Void thingy is’’  
Tsunami frowned, ‘’well… he does seem to always have an answer for everything’’  
‘’Then go and fetch him’’ Elijah said rudely.  
‘’I ain’t no one’s errand boy’’ Tsunami denied.  
Sighing, Kathrina looked at Tsunami again, ‘’just go and get him, Tsunami’’ she said, ‘’the sooner we can learn whatever we can about this Void thing, the sooner we can come up with our plan to eliminate Gahi’’  
It didn’t take much to convince him. He sighed and nodded, ‘’alright, wait here, I’ll go get him’’

As he left the room, Kathrina frowned and looked up at Elijah, ‘’seriously?’’ she grumbled.  
‘’What?’’ he asked, confused.  
‘’What?’’ she mocked, ‘’why the hell did you attack him like that?!’’  
He frowned, ‘’he did that on purpose!’’ he insisted, pointing over at his wet shirt and coat.  
‘’No, he didn’t’’ she frowned, looking up at him.  
But then, he smirked, ‘’you are right, he did not’’  
Confused, she tilted her head slightly.  
However, he didn’t say anything else. He walked over to the window and pulled the curtains open, looking down at the courtyard below. A small group of Seers were dueling with swords, others practicing hand-to-hand combat. Elijah scoffed and looked back at Kathrina, ‘’there is no wonder so many of them die, they fight like drunkards in a tavern’’  
‘’Oh, shut up’’ she snapped, ‘’they just fight differently than you do’’  
He scoffed quietly, but then looked back over his shoulder at her, ‘’are you sure you feel nothing other than friendship towards – ‘’  
She sighed irritably and slumped down on her bed, ‘’no, Elijah’’ she grumbled, ‘’Tsunami’s just my friend – I think’’ she frowned.  
‘’Think?’’ he asked, sitting beside her.  
Looking up at him, she nodded, ‘’I just… find it hard to trust people these days’’  
‘’I understand’’ he said quietly, ‘’you are the only person other than Luka that I trust’’  
She sat up and stared up at him, ‘’have you still not heard from him?’’ she asked curiously.  
As a despondent look appeared on his face, Elijah sighed and shook his head, looking down at his lap, ‘’no’’  
‘’Well… did he find anything useful before he… well… left?’’  
‘’Luka and I gathered a lot of intel on both Gahi and Warlocks’’ he confirmed, ‘’information that is probably of no use to us in killing him’’  
‘’Like what?’’ she asked, shuffling closer to him, ‘’did you find out who or what he was before he was a Warlock?’’  
He shook his head, ‘’not exactly’’  
‘’Then what?’’  
‘’A long time ago, Gahi was a member of a small circle of very powerful Warlocks, a clan said to be the strongest in all of Alvenguard’’ he started, looking down at her, ‘’the clan’s leader was apparently the creator of all Warlocks, and his reason for creating Warlocks was to fight a species of people known as the Teshika’’  
‘’Teshika?’’ she asked curiously.  
‘’The war between Warlocks and the Teshika was said to have lasted hundreds of years – the Teshika were wiped out, and the Warlocks started to spread through Alvenguard like a disease. Gahi was given control of a large Warlock clan after assisting in the Teshika’s extinction; he gathered innocent people and increased his numbers, destroying everything in his path until he found the Kingdom in which he now resides’’  
Kathrina frowned, ‘’so… what about the creator of Warlocks?’’  
‘’Gahi confided in us Princes that he wishes to destroy this creator and take his throne – he wants to control all Warlocks. I’m not sure if there is a reason for him wanting to kill this creator, perhaps they have history, but I do not really care. All that matters is killing Gahi’’  
Nodding, she stared at him, waiting for him to continue.  
Elijah sighed, ‘’this creator is apparently immortal because of this Void power, and that is why Gahi wants it for himself. He believes that if he is also immortal, he can kill this Warlock creator, but Luka found that anyone who had ever challenged this creator died in seconds – apparently, no one can beat him, immortal or not’’  
‘’So… Gahi’s on some suicide mission?’’  
‘’It appears that way’’  
‘’Well, there has to be a reason why he wants to kill this guy other than wanting to rule over all Warlocks’’ Kathrina frowned, ‘’maybe this creator did something to Gahi? Took something from him? What if he turned Gahi and took his memory? Maybe he wants revenge for that?’’  
Shaking his head, Elijah sighed, ‘’I’m certain that Gahi still has his memory intact; all higher-ranking Warlocks are allowed to keep their memories intact because most of them were loyal to Gahi before they were Warlocks – ‘’  
‘’Were you?’’ she asked in worry.  
‘’No’’ he said, laughing slightly, ‘’I just made him believe that I was’’  
With her curiosity increasing, she shuffled even closer, ‘’so… who or what were you before you became a Warlock?’’ she asked, ‘’you never really told me anything about your life before’’  
He smiled slightly as he looked down at the floor, but then sighed and looked back at her, ‘’that does not matter’’ he said, ‘’all that matters right now is that I am with you again, and nothing will change that’’


	10. Void Between Realms

Looking up at Elijah, Kathrina frowned, ‘’why doesn’t it matter?’’ she asked in disappointment, ‘’I barely know anything about you now that I think about it’’ she pouted, looking down at the floor. But as she looked back up at him, she watched as a look of sadness wiped across his face, ‘’Elijah?’’  
He sighed and looked down at her confused face, ‘’I will tell you when it matters’’ he said, ending the conversation as he stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the city.  
Kathrina frowned as she stared over at him; she stared at the strange rune-like marking on his back which was shaped like two dragons curving into a yin-yang. One was black, the other outlined within the marking’s thorn-like, rounded outline. It sat between his shoulder blades just below his neck, and she had never actually seen it before. She had no idea what it was, but she felt as though he wouldn’t answer if she asked – she knew how much he hated being asked questions.  
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from outside the room. They both sharply turned their heads and stared over at the door, waiting. Moments later, the door swung open, and Tsunami walked in, accompanied by Opus.  
Upon entering the room, Tsunami set his irritated gaze upon Elijah who glared back. The old man entered and frowned unsurely as he noticed Elijah; he looked over at Tsunami, clearly waiting for an explanation.  
Kathrina sighed and stood up, ‘’you didn’t tell him Elijah was here, did you?’’  
Tsunami shrugged as he closed the door behind him, ‘’slipped my mind’’  
‘’Liar’’ Elijah snarled, ‘’you were hoping this old shit would react defensively and attack me’’  
‘’Oh yeah right!’’ Tsunami yelled in denial.  
‘’And now you lie to my face?!’’ Elijah yelled back –  
‘’Guys!’’ Kathrina yelled, glaring at them both, ‘’shut the hell up!’’  
The old man smiled pleasantly as he pulled out the chair from under Kathrina’s desk. He sat down and looked around at the three of them, ‘’I am much more curious now… what was I brought here for, yes?’’ he asked.  
Before either of them could answer, Kathrina held her hands towards Elijah and Tsunami’s faces, silencing them, ‘’do you know anything about a magic called ‘the Void’?’’ she asked, getting straight to the point.  
Opus’ face seemed to light up a little as he stared at Kathrina with his visible purple, shimmering eye, ‘’ah, yes… an ancient magic this is…’’ he nodded, but then held out his hands, ‘’sit, please, I will tell you what you want to know, yes’’  
‘’Sit?’’ Elijah scoffed, ‘’on the floor?’’  
Seeing that Elijah had a problem with it, Tsunami instantly sat down cross-legged on the floor and sneered up at him, ‘’you’re such a complainer, you always gotta have a problem with anything!’’ he said, looking to Kathrina, expecting her to agree and force Elijah to sit down.  
But she shook her head, ‘’I’d rather not’’ she said, tapping her foot on the floor, a layer of dust pouncing up into the air, ‘’we’ll sit here’’ she said, pulling Elijah’s arm, making him sit beside her on the edge of the bed.  
Tsunami pouted and stood up; he started wiping the dust from the back of his coat and looked over at Kathrina – however, before he could even try to join them, Elijah sprawled out, taking up whatever room was left. Tsunami gritted his teeth in frustration, waiting for Elijah to look over at him, but he just stared ahead at the wall beside Opus, waiting.  
‘’You’re so damn childish!’’ Tsunami yelled.  
‘’At least I do not look like a ch – ‘’  
‘’Shh!’’ Kathrina snapped, glaring at Elijah.  
He smirked and turned his head, looking over at her –   
‘’Before we begin – ‘’ the old man started, watching as Tsunami dragged himself over to one of the cupboards and sat atop it, ‘’- I am curious to know: who is this man?’’ he asked, raising his left arm to point at Elijah. As he raised his arm, a long, deep scar became visible on his shrouded hand, the long, drape-like sleeves of his vestments concealing almost all of his body.  
‘’None of your damn business’’ Elijah instantly snapped, glaring at the old man.  
Opus frowned slightly, ‘’well, then I shall assume: a shirtless, rather handsome male in Kathrina’s room, a jealous, frustrated aura lingering over Tsunami – are you her lover, yes?’’  
A look of nervousness and embarrassment covered Kathrina’s face; Elijah smirked, and Tsunami gritted his teeth in anger, glaring at Opus and then Elijah.  
‘’Judging by your reactions… I assume that perhaps you are not Kathrina’s lover, but you wish to be, yes?’’  
Elijah’s smirk faded as he deadpanned.  
‘’Can we just… get on with this?’’ Kathrina asked.  
The old man looked at her expectantly.  
She sighed, ‘’this is Elijah, he’s a friend’’ she said.  
‘’I see’’ the old man nodded, looking at Elijah, ‘’Warlock, yes?’’  
With an irritated look on his face, Elijah glared at the old man, not bothering to confirm it.  
Tsunami then scowled, ‘’yeah, he’s a Warlock, and rude, stuck up one at that’’  
Instantly, Elijah sharply turned his head and glared at Tsunami – the pair glared at one another, the hostility between them starting to boil once again.  
‘’Yes… Tsunami does not approve of this Elijah, and this Elijah does not approve of our Tsunami… perhaps this is because – ‘’  
‘’Enough assuming!’’ Kathrina yelled, ‘’just tell us what you know about the Void!’’  
‘’I know that it is an ancient, immense magic, yes’’  
‘’We already know that’’ Elijah grumbled.  
‘’Why is it that you want to know, yes?’’  
‘’We think Gahi wants to use it to become immortal’’ Kathrina explained.  
Opus frowned and looked at Elijah.  
‘’We believe Gahi wishes to defeat the creator of Warlocks and take his reign, and to do that, he will need the same level of power – hence: the Void’’ he added as Opus looked back at Kathrina.  
Tsunami then frowned, ‘’yeah, but why does Gahi wanna kill this Warlock creator guy? Just for power?’’  
‘’I thought the same’’ Kathrina agreed, looking over at Tsunami and then to Opus, ‘’we don’t know if Gahi has a reason other than that for wanting to kill this Warlock creator, but we’re pretty sure he wants to steal the Void magic so that he can kill him… right?’’ she asked unsurely, looking at Elijah.  
He nodded, ‘’Gahi confided in us Princes that he wanted to kill the Warlock creator, but this creator is apparently immortal. I’m not sure if this creator gained immortality through the Void the same way Gahi plans to, but Gahi was confident that his plan would work’’  
Opus frowned, ‘’Princes… yes? You are… a Prince Warlock? You are… close to Gahi?’’  
‘’I was’’ Elijah sighed, ‘’until I left with this information’’  
‘’And you have come here in hopes of gathering allies to assist you in stopping Gahi from killing this Warlock creator, yes?’’ he assumed.  
Elijah shook his head, ‘’no’’ he answered, ‘’Gahi attempted to steal magic not too long ago, and it has left him in a vulnerable state. Now is a perfect time to attack and kill him, and that is why I am here. I could not care less about Warlocks fighting Warlocks, I just want to slaughter him’’ he explained plainly.  
‘’Why?’’ Tsunami asked sceptically, ‘’seems like Gahi isn’t the only one with unknown motives’’  
Before Elijah could yell at Tsunami, the old man nodded, ‘’this is… interesting, yes’’  
‘’What is?’’ Kathrina asked.  
‘’It was very rare to find someone like you, yes’’ he said pointing to Kathrina, ‘’but you…’’ he said, pointing at Elijah who raised his left eyebrow in revolt, ‘’a Prince Warlock who has gone rogue… interesting… yes… ‘’  
Gritting his teeth impatiently, Elijah scowled, ‘’get that revolting thing out of my face before I rip it from your frail hands’’ he warned.  
The old man frowned and lowered his hand, ‘’it is not hard to guess what you are under that Warlock magic, yes’’ he said, ‘’your attitude spells it out for me’’  
‘’What?’’ Kathrina asked curiously, looking up at Elijah.  
‘’Do I need to make it so you cannot ever speak again too?’’ Elijah snarled, clearly losing whatever little patience he had.  
Opus shook his head and smiled pleasantly, ‘’of course not, yes’’  
Tsunami then scoffed, ‘’anyone can tell what you are’’ he called as the three of them looked over at him, ‘’you’re a damn Vampire’’  
‘’Huh?’’ Kathrina frowned, looking back at Elijah who glared over at Tsunami with an intent to kill, ‘’you’re a Vampire?’’  
‘’No’’ he denied, gritting his teeth in frustration.  
She then stared at the four visible fangs he had, a pair on his top row of teeth and a pair on his bottom row, both sharp and almost twice as long as any of his other teeth. She then looked over at Tsunami again, and then to Opus, ‘’Vampires have two fangs’’  
‘’Maybe he’s some kind of abomination’’ Tsunami sneered.  
Elijah then jumped to his feet, ‘’say that to my face toy piece of shit!’’ he dared furiously.  
‘’Wow… I clearly hit a nerve’’ Tsunami scowled.

Kathrina pulled on Elijah’s arm, making him sit back down, ‘’let’s just get this over with!’’ she growled, ‘’if either of you so much as glared at one another again, I’ll knock you both out!’’ she warned, glaring at them both as they fell silent.  
Smiling pleasantly, Opus looked around at the three of them, ‘’ah, friendship is a nice thing, yes’’  
‘’I’m not his damn – ‘’  
‘’Shut it!’’ Kathrina yelled, pointing at Elijah.  
He instantly lost his furious look and backed down, almost intimidated by Kathrina’s hostile glare.  
‘’Such a nice thing’’ Opus smiled.  
‘’Can you just tell us about this Void thing so I can get the hell outta here?!’’ Tsunami growled, ‘’I can barely stand to breathe the same air as this… this… thing!’’  
Kathrina glared over at Tsunami as she kept Elijah from standing up again, ‘’what the heck did I just say?!’’ she yelled.  
Intimidated, Tsunami backed down, ‘’sorry’’  
Sighing irritably, she looked back at Opus, ‘’is there anything you can tell us about the Void? Anything that might help us to kill Gahi?’’  
The old man nodded, ‘’the Void is the magic that exists within the space between each of the seven known Realms. These Realms are much like our own Alvenguard, worlds consisting of life, but not all harbor magic, yes’’  
‘’There’re more worlds out there?!’’ Kathrina asked excitedly.  
Opus nodded, ‘’indeed, yes’’ he smiled, ‘’as well as our home, Alvenguard, there are six other Realms that we know of’’  
Elijah scowled sceptically, ‘’we?’’ he asked, ‘’I have never heard of any other world outside of our own’’  
Tsunami then scoffed, ‘’dumbass’’ he mumbled.  
‘’That is to be expected, yes’’ the old man nodded, ‘’these other worlds are not easy to access, and neither is the magic between them. These other worlds are accessible at a few locations within Alvenguard, locations with ancient Gateways. These Gateways can only be accessed by certain people possessing certain magics, yes – if just anyone was able to open a Gateway and access both the Void and passage to the other worlds… well… let us just say that it would not be good, yes’’  
Kathrina frowned and looked over Tsunami, ‘’you were pulled from your world into this one, right?’’  
He nodded, ‘’Gahi is responsible’’  
As a confused look wiped across his face, the old man looked down at the floor, ‘’I don’t quite understand how Gahi was able to open a Gateway…’’  
‘’He is a powerful Warlock’’ Elijah frowned, ‘’is that not why?’’  
‘’As I said, only certain people with specific magic can open Gateways… and as far as I know, Gahi is not such a person, yes’’  
‘’Maybe you just don’t know that much about him?’’ Kathrina suggested.  
Opus looked over at her, ‘’perhaps… I do know that Gahi possesses an ability that allows him to absorb other magics and powers into himself… perhaps he found such a person and added their magic to his own, yes’’  
‘’Will it make him immortal?’’ Elijah asked impatiently.  
‘’Immortality is but one thing this ancient power can provide a person with, yes’’  
‘’So… if Gahi takes this Void magic, we won’t be able to kill him?’’ Tsunami asked in worry.  
The old man slowly looked over at him, ‘’kill… hmm… nothing is unkillable – there may be creatures in this world and others that will not stay permanently dead, yes… that type of immortality is not what the Void bestows, yes’’  
Elijah frowned irritably, ‘’are you incapable of simply answering yes or no?!’’  
Ignoring Elijah’s outburst, Tsunami nodded, ‘’so, he can die’’  
Opus nodded as he looked down at his lap, ‘’the Void bestows a type of immortality that can be conquered in a specific way – yes, we will be able to kill Gahi’’ he said, looking at Elijah.  
‘’We?’’ Kathrina frowned.  
Looking over at her, the old man nodded, ‘’if you three are on a quest to kill Gahi, then I shall accompany and assist you, yes’’ he smiled.  
‘’What is an old shit like you going to do?’’ Elijah laughed.  
Instantly, Opus lost his pleasant smile and scowled at Elijah, ‘’if you keep speaking down to me, boy, you will find out exactly what I’m capable of, yes’’  
‘’Is that a threat?!’’ Elijah snarled, standing up, but before he could lunge at the old man, Kathrina grabbed his arm and stopped him.  
She sighed as she pulled Elijah back and forced him to sit down, ‘’so, what does Gahi have to do to take this Void and become immortal?’’  
‘’He would simply need to touch it, yes – like I said, I believe he has the ability to absorb other magics into himself, so he will be able to do it with a single touch, yes. I should add, yes, that you should not only be concerned about Gahi becoming immortal… if he takes this Void magic, yes, it could very well corrupt the balance of magic within this Realm’’  
Tsunami’s face turned blue as he realized what the old man was saying. He stood up straight, ‘’w-wait… are you saying… if Gahi takes this Void magic, this Realm could end up like mine?’’  
The old man nodded.  
Elijah then scoffed, ‘’Atlantis was a frail little world, just like its people’’ he said harshly, glaring at Tsunami.  
‘’What did you just say?!’’ Tsunami yelled at the top of his voice –   
Before Elijah could yell back, Kathrina frowned, ‘’wait… this doesn’t make sense’’ she said, looking up at Elijah, ‘’you said he needed me to open this Gateway, but if I do that, won’t I absorb the magic instead?’’  
Elijah frowned in worry, ‘’if what the old man is saying is true, perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps Gahi is planning to take your magic for himself, and then use it to draw this Void magic out’’  
‘’What?!’’ Tsunami exclaimed in horror.  
‘’So… then… I have to keep away from Gahi, I can’t let him get my magic – right?’’ she asked, still staring at Elijah.  
He frowned and looked over at her –   
‘’Hold on – ‘’ Tsunami called, ‘’ – you knew!’’ he accused as they all looked over at him, ‘’that’s why you sent her away, right?!’’  
‘’Watch your mouth’’ Elijah warned aggressively, glaring at Tsunami.  
Confused, worried and saddened, Kathrina stared into Elijah’s seemingly panicked eyes, ‘’Elijah… did… you know?’’ she asked.  
‘’No!’’ he insisted, ‘’I sent you away because I knew Gahi was going to harm you, I did not know he wanted you for this!’’  
‘’Liar!’’ Tsunami yelled.  
‘’He speaks the truth, yes’’ Opus suddenly interjected.  
The three of them sharply turned their heads and looked at the old man.  
‘’This Prince is not a liar – a jerk, yes… but a liar? No’’  
‘’How can you even tell?!’’ Tsunami questioned in frustration.  
Slowly, Opus looked over at Tsunami as Kathrina sighed in relief, resting her head against Elijah’s shoulder. As she did, Elijah smiled, making Tsunami grit his teeth in anger and jealousy.  
‘’Do not allow your judgement to be affected by your jealousy, Tsunami’’ the old man frowned, ‘’you may not like him, but the fact of the matter is: this Prince may very well be what you and many others have been waiting for. We now have an opportunity to rid this valley of Warlocks, yes’’  
Confliction consumed Tsunami. He stood there, sweat trickling down the side of his face as he desperately tried to think of something else to accuse Elijah with – and it didn’t take him long to come up with something.  
He pointed at Elijah, ‘’h-how’d you know I was from Atlantis?!’’ he yelled.

Kathrina sighed, growled and looked back over her shoulder at Tsunami before Elijah could answer, ‘’Tsunami – shut up!’’ she yelled, ‘’there’s more important stuff to talk about right now!’’  
Embarrassment and defeat smothered Tsunami’s face as he backed down.  
Elijah then sighed, ‘’it is common knowledge among the Prince Warlocks that the Realm Gahi destroyed was named Atlantis, and we are also all aware that there was a survivor’’ he said, looking over at Tsunami who frowned uncomfortably. He then took his attention off Tsunami and looked at Opus, ‘’we should aim to kill Gahi before he touches this magic’’ he said sternly.  
The old man nodded, ‘’I gather you did not come all this way without a plan, yes?’’  
Nodding, Elijah leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands as he leant his elbows into his knees, ‘’Gahi is planning to head out to the Gateway’s location soon – he wants to arrive there in time for the full moon’’  
Kathrina frowned, ‘’the full moon was two nights ago, I was out hunting Black Dogs’’  
He looked down at her and smiled slightly, ‘’an unnatural full moon appears once a year’’ he explained, ‘’I do not know why, but according to Gahi – ‘’  
‘’This unnatural full moon is an intruding phenomenon, yes’’ Opus interrupted as everyone looked at him with different looks of irritancy. Ignoring their looks, he smiled, ‘’this unnatural full moon occurs once a year and is said to be some kind of curse, yes’’  
‘’Curse?’’ Tsunami frowned.  
He nodded again, ‘’hundreds of years ago, Werewolves only turned on the full moon, and it was a much more agonizing transformation than it is today, before magic transformed the curse into the weapon it now is, yes’’ he explained, ‘’a clan of Werewolves caused a witch great pain, so she cursed the moon to appear full for one more night to cause them great pain as well, yes. This moon emits a powerful magic’’  
‘’So why’s Gahi waiting for it?’’ Tsunami asked.  
Elijah looked over at him, ‘’Gahi is smart; he plans to use the magic that this moon emits as a weapon – he will use his Warlock sensing abilities, and empower them with the moon’s magic, giving him the ability to sense any incoming danger from anywhere the moonlight touches. He fears that people may come to try and stop him’’ he explained.  
‘’Fear?’’ Tsunami scoffed, ‘’Warlocks don’t feel fear, they’re emotionless’’  
The old man shook his head, ‘’Warlocks are not emotionless, they simply do not understand emotion, yes’’  
‘’Either that or they choose not to’’ Elijah mumbled.  
Opus frowned and slowly looked over at Elijah, ‘’you… continue to intrigue me, yes… even though you are a Warlock, you speak as if you’re not’’  
‘’As far as I’m concerned, I’m not’’ Elijah said, ‘’like Kathrina, this magic was forced upon me, I had no choice but to join Gahi’’  
Staring at him, the old man scowled slightly, ‘’you… have a darkness clinging to you, such pain – agony, yes… I see it in your eyes, on your face… what is causing you such torment?’’  
Elijah scowled evilly at the old man as Kathrina and Tsunami stared at him, ‘’what the fuck did I just say?!’’ Elijah growled, ‘’keep that out of my business, or I will tear it off with the rest of your face!’’ he warned, pointing at Opus’ barely visible nose.

But the old man wasn’t threatened. He smiled pleasantly and stood up, ‘’I believe we are done here for now, yes. I understand that you have a plan, however, I feel that it would be within our best interest to gather more allies before we plan anything’’ he said, looking around at the three of them.  
‘’We do not need anyone else’’ Elijah denied, lowering his arm as he looked back down at the floor.  
‘’You may not need anyone else, yes, but for such a mission to be successful, we will need a small army of our own – I gather that every Warlock under Gahi’s rule will be accompanying him to the Gateway, so we will need numbers to conquer them, yes’’  
Before Elijah could deny again, Kathrina placed her hand on his shoulder, ‘’he’s right, we’re gonna need our own group of fighters. Even you can’t take on Gahi’s entire Kingdom by yourself’’  
He smirked –   
‘’I know some people’’ Tsunami announced as Opus made his way over to the door, ‘’I could go and ask them’’  
Looking over at him, Kathrina nodded, ‘’you do that, and while you do, I’ll go and talk to the general’’ she said.  
Tsunami then looked to Elijah, ‘’where is this Gateway?’’  
Not even bothering to look at him, Elijah sighed, ‘’three days from here on horseback. It is outside of this valley, just past the fire mountains’’  
‘’Fire mountains?’’ Tsunami asked in confusion.  
Sighing irritably, Elijah deadpanned and glared over at him, ‘’volcanoes, you dumb shit’’  
‘’We should leave at dawn’’ Kathrina said quickly, keeping Tsunami from yelling at Elijah. She then frowned and looked around, noticing that Opus was gone, ‘’where’d he go?’’  
Shrugging, Tsunami pouted, ‘’I dunno’’  
‘’Do you not have somewhere to be?’’ Elijah then snarled.  
‘’You don’t order me around’’ Tsunami scowled, but then looked to Kathrina, ‘’I’ll tell Oswold, he’ll wanna know, and maybe he can lend – ‘’  
‘’You can’t tell him Elijah’s here!’’ she insisted.  
‘’Why would I?’’ Tsunami scoffed rudely, ‘’as much as I’d like to see a mob chase him out like the rat he is, I said I’d leave it’’ he smirked as Elijah scowled evilly at him.  
Kathrina sighed and walked over to the window, ‘’just… go’’ she grumbled.

Tsunami shrugged and turned around; he pulled the door open, and as he left, he tried to pull it shut, but before he could, Elijah grabbed the door, reached forward and grabbed Tsunami’s collar, pulling his face into his own. With their faces just inches from each other, Elijah snarled in anger as Tsunami grunted in shock.  
‘’Listen the fuck to me’’ Elijah growled quietly as Kathrina watched from the other end of the room, unsure whether she should stop him or not. Elijah tightened his grip on Tsunami’s collar as he tried to break free, ‘’if you make one more comment, I will gut you where you stand – I will do it slowly, precisely… I will make sure to keep you alive and conscious as I do it, and when you finally die, I will feed your corpse to ghouls – you know what happens when someone gets eaten by ghouls, right?’’ Elijah grinned, ‘’you will become a part of each beast that swallows a part of you, and you will never EVER know peace, not even in death’’  
Tsunami stared into Elijah’s eyes in absolute horror… but then frowned, ‘’you’re a damn maniac’’ he breathed, ‘’a psychopath!’’  
Elijah lost his grin and scowled evilly at him, ‘’no, I’m just tired of little shits like you commenting on things they have no idea about. I’m not here to do anything other than kill Gahi and protect Kathrina – if you think that I would ever betray her, you are even more stupid than you look’’ he snarled.  
Then, Tsunami pulled free and grabbed Elijah’s collar, ‘’I’m on to you’’ he warned as Elijah frowned in confusion, ‘’you may be able to fool Opus and Kathrina, but I see through your lies. You’re up to something, and whatever it is, I ain’t gonna let you hurt Kathrina – or anyone!’’  
Scoffing, Elijah shoved Tsunami back and forced him out into the hallway – Tsunami’s back hit the banister, and as it did, Elijah forced his arm against Tsunami’s throat, keeping him from being able to stand up straight. The banister creaked under Tsunami’s weight as the people below all jumped to their feet, startled by the confrontation, unsure of what to do. They all stood there, staring up at the pair.  
‘’You best stay away from me’’ Elijah warned as Kathrina rushed out of the door and grabbed his other arm, trying to pull him off Tsunami, ‘’the only reason I have not yet killed you is because Kathrina cares about you – but if you keep this up, even that will not keep me from living up to my threat’’ he snarled as Tsunami struggled.  
‘’Elijah!’’ Kathrina yelled, tugging on his arm, ‘’what the hell is wrong with you?!’’  
Then, Elijah snarled and backed off, letting Tsunami go. Tsunami dropped to his feet, trembling in panic and shock.  
Kathrina grabbed Elijah’s collar and pulled his face into hers, ‘’how many times do I have to tell you?!’’ she growled as Elijah started to quiver, ‘’you’re so impulsive! Why can’t you just tell hi to go away or something?! You always resort to violence!’’  
‘’I believe that cannot be helped, yes’’ Opus suddenly said, appearing beside them both.  
The pair jumped in shock and backed off slightly, standing side by side as they stared at the old man.  
Having climbed to his feet, Tsunami grunted and glared at Elijah, ‘’what the heck do you mean that can’t be helped?! This guy’s a damn lunatic!’’   
Opus shook his head, ‘’the Prince’s heritage causes this awful anger, yes’’  
‘’Just ‘cause he’s a Vampire don’t mean – ‘’  
‘’I’m not a fucking Vampire!’’ Elijah yelled, silencing Tsunami.  
‘’It doesn’t even matter!’’ Kathrina yelled, silencing them all, ‘’if you two don’t stop trying to kill one another, I’m gonna… I’ll… ugh!’’ she yelled, storming off back into her room. She slammed the door shut, leaving the three of them outside.  
‘’Now look what you did!’’ Tsunami accused, pointing at Elijah.  
Elijah scowled at Tsunami, but remained silent, disappointment consuming him.  
Then, Tsunami scoffed, ‘’whatever, I got stuff to do’’ he grumbled, shoving past Elijah who didn’t react.

As Tsunami left, Elijah frowned and looked around for the old man, but he was gone once again… ‘’nani?’’ Elijah whispered to himself.  
He sighed, shook his head and walked over to the door, pushing it open to find Kathrina standing over by the window, staring out at the city. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to her, dragging his hand over the back of his neck as he tried to think of a way to explain himself to her. His explosive anger had always been something he found hard to control, and Kathrina had always tried to keep him calm… and when her efforts were unfruitful, it made him feel awful.  
Reaching her, he looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to say.  
But the slowly turned her head and glared up at him, ‘’you make me so mad!’’ she growled.  
As he smiled nervously, he looked down at the floor, ‘’I… uh… I’m sorry – ‘’  
‘’No you ain’t!’’ she growled, turning to face him, ‘’what’s your problem with him?!’’  
‘’I – ‘’  
‘’And don’t say you feel all protective because you think he has feelings for me! You get pissed off at literally anything he says!’’  
Elijah frowned sadly, ‘’there – ‘’  
‘’And how did you know he was from Atlantis?!’’  
‘’This is not the first time I have seen him!’’ he answered quickly before Kathrina could throw more questions at him.  
Kathrina’s frustrated scowl instantly faded, ‘’w-what?’’  
He sighed and leaned back against the wall, ‘’today was not the first day I met Tsunami’’  
Confused, she stared up at him, ‘’what? You’ve met him before?’’  
‘’Not exactly ‘met’… more like saw’’ he answered, slowly sitting down on the floor.  
She frowned and slowly sat beside him, ‘’what are you talking about? Has he seen you before today?’’  
‘’No’’ Elijah said, laughing slightly, ‘’if he had, he would not despise me as much as he does’’  
Kathrina frowned curiously, ‘’why?’’  
‘’I was the Prince who was supposed to be watching this prisoner from another world, Gahi was keeping him alive so that he could absorb his powers’’  
‘’Tsunami?’’  
‘’Yes’’ Elijah answered, looking over at her, ‘’I was supposed to be watching Tsunami the night he escaped the Kingdom’’  
She frowned doubtfully, ‘’I mean… he’s strong, but I don’t think he’s strong enough to evade someone like you’’ she smirked.  
Also smirking, he shook his head and looked down at the floor, ‘’no, I did not confront him or try to stop him. Letting him go felt like the right thing to do’’  
‘’You… you let him escape?’’ Kathrine asked in confusion.  
He glanced over at her, ‘’well, I did not technically let him go, I was… well… I chose to abandon my post when I noticed him attempting to break free. He broke through the silver bars like they were nothing and fled the Kingdom, leaving a trail of dead Warlocks in his path. I could have stopped him, but I chose to stand there and watch. I could see why Gahi wanted him, and I could not let Gahi gain such power – so, I let him go’’  
She laughed slightly and shook her head, ‘’you basically saved his life – and he doesn’t even know it’’  
‘’He does not need to know’’  
‘’Why not?!’’ she exclaimed, ‘’maybe he’d stop trying to prove he’s better than you if he knew you were the reason he got away so easily!’’  
‘’Even if I wanted to tell him, he would not listen’’ he sighed, dragging his hand through his hair, ‘’anyway, there is no time to try and amend petty rivalries. We must prepare to head out’’ he said, climbing to his feet.  
Also standing up, Kathrina nodded, ‘’I should go to the General now, he’ll be – ‘’  
‘’That will not be necessary, yes’’ Opus suddenly croaked, appearing behind Elijah, making him jump in shock.  
‘’What the fuck – ‘’  
Silencing Elijah, Kathrina held her hand to his face and glared at Opus, ‘’what?’’  
The old man smiled, ‘’I have informed the General of our plan to kill Gahi, yes, and he has agreed to hold off this Warlock discussion until you return, yes’’  
She frowned and looked up at Elijah, ‘’well… I guess we could go find Tsunami then’’ she suggested.  
They then both looked in the old man’s direction, but he was gone once again. They frowned and looked at one another, bewildered by Opus’ ability to randomly appear and disappear without notice… in a similar way that Elijah seemed to be able to…


End file.
